In recent years, tumor-derived spheroids have been utilized to optimize cancer therapeutics for ovarian and hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer cells grown as spheroids resemble human tumors more closely than cells grown in monolayers, with respect to morphology, structural complexity, phenotype and sensitivity to chemotherapeutics. Being more physiologically relevant model systems, they can be more predictive of drug profiling and cytotoxicity. However, there are some challenges to using spheroids for drug screening.
Download this app note to discover how you can overcome challenges such as:
- Maintaining the shape and size of spheroids to reduce variability
- Determining the penetration of drugs to optimize treatment times
- Selecting the right kind of reagents, equipment and protocols for an efficient experimental design
