Discussion

There is significant need for more predictive in vitro efficacy and toxicology assays to reduce both the number of costly drug failures in clinical trials and the number of animals used in pre-clinical testing. A range of 3D cell-based assay techniques, in which cells demonstrate different morphology and behaviour to cells grown in conventional 2D, are being evaluated for use in drug discovery programmes. In addition to providing a more physiologically relevant environment for cells, a 3D cell-based assay format should provide highly consistent performance and be readily compatible with standard automated handling and imaging equipment.
The objective of this study was to test if the Mimetix® electrospun scaffold is a suitable tool for the culture of human epithelial breast cancer cells in 3D, which can be used in drug discovery programmes for in vitro toxicity and efficacy assays. Cell viability and growth in 12 well plates and 96 well plates was shown to be highly consistent (cv < 10%) and the breast cancer cells were shown to be more resistant to drug-induced apoptosis following 10 days of proliferation in the Mimetix scaffolds than on 2D tissue culture plastic, indicating that they had assumed a 3D phenotype.

Dr E. Heister1, Dr. R McKean1, H McLuskey2, T Duff2, Dr C Wilde2
The Electrospinning Company Limited (1), Avanticell Limited (2)