3D Spheroid with Stromal, Endothelial and Immune Cell Tri-Culture Model for Immuno-Oncology Drug Discovery and Development

The 3D spheroid with stromal, endothelial, and immune cells tri-culture model is an advanced in vitro system used in immuno-oncology drug development. Creative Biolabs launches this model to help you study the interactions between tumor cells and the immune system, and accelerate the immuno-oncology drug discovery and development.

Tumor Microenvironment (TME)

The TME is a complex and dynamic environment surrounding a tumor. Tumors are not just massively proliferating cancer cells, but highly complex tissues composed of dynamic extracellular matrix, stromal cells, immune cells, and endothelial cells. To better reproduce the tumor microenvironment in 3D, great efforts have been made.

Fig 1. Scheme of the main components of the tumor microenvironment.¹

Advantages of 3D Spheroid With Stromal, Endothelial, and Immune Cells Tri-Culture Model

Recapitulating tumor microenvironment

The inclusion of stromal, endothelial, and immune cells in the 3D spheroid model helps recreate the complex interactions that occur within the tumor microenvironment. This allows for a more accurate representation of the in vivo conditions, leading to more reliable results.

Immune cell functionality assessment

The presence of immune cells in the tri-culture model facilitates the evaluation of their functionality and response to certain immunotherapies. It enables researchers to study immune cell infiltration, activation, and cytokine release, providing valuable insights into the efficacy of immunotherapeutic agents.

Predicting drug responses

The 3D spheroid model offers a platform to assess drug responses more accurately than traditional 2D cell cultures. By incorporating multiple cell types, including immune cells, researchers can simulate the interactions between different cells within the tumor microenvironment. This enables them to predict the response of tumor cells and the immune system to specific drug candidates more effectively.

Studying immunomodulatory effects

Immuno-oncology drugs often aim to modulate the immune response against tumors. The 3D tri-culture model can provide insights into the immunomodulatory effects of drug candidates. It enables researchers to investigate how drugs interact with immune cells, induce immune cell activation or inhibition, and influence the overall immune response within the tumor microenvironment.

Reducing animal experimentation

The availability of a reliable in vitro model like the 3D spheroid tri-culture system reduces the reliance on animal models for initial drug screening. This helps minimize the number of animals used in experiments, reduces costs, and provides a more ethical approach to drug development.

Fig 2. Selected images of representative heterotypic 3D CRC models co-cultured with fibroblast and endothelial cells (A), and PBMC (C).¹

Applications of 3D Spheroid With Stromal, Endothelial, and Immune Cells Tri-Culture Model

• Ability to identify novel therapeutic targets to develop alternative therapies and test TME-targeted therapies.
• Drug discovery and screening. Enables more accurate prediction of patient tumor progression and drug response, identifying genetic markers to predict disease progression and chemotherapy resistance.
• Disease simulation. Better model in vivo regulation of signaling pathways to decipher fundamental tumorigenic processes and identify new cancer therapeutics.
• Designed to adapt to multi-dose drug testing and achieve rapid prediction of drug efficacy, thereby speeding up drug development.
• Possibility to study the effects of various immune cell infiltrations.

With years of experience in preclinical drug discovery, Creative Biolabs offers a highly specialized 3D spheroid with stromal, endothelial, and immune cell tri-culture models to accelerate global researchers’ projects. For more detailed information, please feel free to contact us.

Related Sections:

• Tumor Organoid for Immuno-Oncology Drug Discovery and Development
• 3D Spheroid Model for Immuno-Oncology Drug Discovery and Development