Interviews
ACCDiS collaborator incorporates 3D technology for the study of cancer at INTA
The 3D model offers a more faithful representation of the tumour environment, which could significantly improve cancer research. It will make it possible to study the impact of obesogenic diets and metabolic conditions such as hyperglycemia on the development of tumors, among other topics.
ThemThree-dimensional models (3D) For the study of cancer as spheroids and organoids are advanced systems that allow the conditions of a tumor to be recreated in a more realistic way in the laboratory. Unlike two-dimensional cell cultures (2D), where cells grow on a flat surface, 3D models simulate what happens in the tissues in which the tumor originates.
Recently, a new 3D technology, allows tumour cells to be encapsulated in hydrogel microspheres, simulating the physical and chemical environment of the tumor, including pressure, lack of oxygen and nutrients. This allows the cells to behave more similarly to how they would inside a real tumor, helping to study its malignancy and response to treatments.
Nicolás Tobar Bächler, Molecular Biotechnology Engineer, Academic at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA) University of Chile and collaborator of the Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases ACCDiS, has specialized in cancer research. PhD in Nutrition and Food, His work has been focused on the study of tumor development associated with nutrition, initially using two-dimensional cell culture models (2D) and work with flies (Drosophila melanogaster), especially in breast cancer. However, Tobar sought to advance three-dimensional models (3D) that better reproduce the conditions of a real tumor, since 2D cultures do not adequately reflect the tumor environment.
In his interest in 3D technology, Tobar obtained an international postdoctoral fellowship from ANID, to specialize in Dr. Christine Selhuber-Unkel's group at the Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials (IMSEAM) of the University of Heidelberg, Germany. In this institute, which is part of a prestigious cluster of excellence ("3D Matter Made to Order"), Tobar was able to learn and develop advanced techniques on these models, called "artificial tumors". This system devised by Dr. Aldo Leal-Egaña allows tumour cells to be captured within biocompatible polymer microspheres, creating an environment that mimics the mechanical stress and lack of oxygen and nutrients experienced by cells within a tumor.
"IMSEAM belongs to a cluster of excellence, which means that it has permanent funding and access to state-of-the-art technology for research. They are at the frontier of knowledge, Creating What's Next. They have the resources available to test, rehearse and do", Tobar points out, back at INTA, About your experience.
Tobar adds that the technological advance represented by 3D models is key "because tumors, such as breast cancer, they are rigid entities with a dense extracellular matrix, which generates adverse conditions such as lack of oxygen and glucose. These conditions are what cause all the malignancy properties of the cell to be expressed. Using three-dimensional models instead of traditional 2D ones will allow us to study these processes more accurately and better understand how tumors develop”.
The incorporation of this technology at INTA will make it possible to study, among other things, The impact of obesogenic diets and metabolic conditions such as hyperglycemia on tumor development. Tobar also plans to use samples of real tumors from patients to analyze how tumor cells respond to different conditions, such as variation in glucose or fat levels, and even evaluate bioactive compounds that can reverse malignant characteristics of tumor cells. Like this, 3D technology could also help replace animal models with human biopsies.
Epidemiological studies indicate that a significant portion of cancers develop due to environmental and metabolic factors. "Not necessarily all obese people are going to develop tumors, but it is known that there is an association and predisposition. Better understanding this relationship could help develop more effective prevention strategies and treatments.", Tobar concludes.