Patient-derived glioma models
3D Glioma model for personalized medicine
Tumors from individual patients respond with variable rates to therapy. This poses a significant challenge in the treatment of gliomas. For the purpose of screening patient-derived glioma tissues with potential therapeutic compounds, the Department of Neurosurgery of the ErasmusMC has developed a 2D culture platform (GLIOscreen). However, possibly also due to tumor heterogeneity, not all patient-derived glioma tissues are amenable to 2D culture. These hurdles highlight the need for complementary culture models. Here we show the development of an organotypic glioma model in OrganoPlates® to establish screenable cellular models for all glioma patients. This project is a collaboration between the ErasmusMC and Mimetas, the inventors of the OrganoPlate®.
Ultimately, the 3D glioma model will be used to culture individual patient’s cancer cells in a high throughput format for the screening of potential effective (combinatorial) treatments and personalized medicine.
The research is partially funded by foundation STOPhersentumoren.

Figure: A glioma cell line GS365 and freshly dissected glioma material were seeded in three different ECMs (Matrigel, BME2reduced growth factor, collagen I) in the OrganoPlate® and cultured for 13 days. On day 13 cells were imaged with phase contrast and a live/dead cell viability assay (Life Technologies) was performed.
Temozolomide sensitivity

Figure: GS203 and GS261 cells show a decrease in sensitivity to the first line therapy drug temozolomide (TMZ) when cultured in 3D (OrganoPlate®) compared to 2D (GLIOscreen) as determined with a fluorescent viability staining.