In vitro triple culture model of retinoblastoma for pre-clinical investigations.

BACKGROUND: Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a rare cancer of the retina that occurs during early childhood. The disease is relatively rare but aggressive, accounting for ∼3% of childhood cancers. Treatment modalities encompass the administration of large doses of chemotherapeutic drugs, which result in multiple side-effects. Therefore, it is essential to have safe and effective newer therapies and suitable physiologically relevant, alternative-to-animal, in vitro cell culture-based models to enable rapid and efficient evaluation of potential therapies. METHODOLOGY: This investigation was focused on the development of a triple co-culture model comprising Rb, retinal epithelium, and choroid endothelial cells, using a protein coating cocktail, to recapitulate this ocular cancer under in vitro conditions. This resulting model was used for screening drug toxicity, based on the growth profile of Rb cells, using carboplatin as the model drug. Further, a combination of bevacizumab and carboplatin was evaluated using the developed model, to lower the concentration of carboplatin and thereby reduce its physiological side-effects. MAJOR RESULTS: The effect of drug treatment on the triple co-culture was assessed by increase in the apoptotic profile of Rb cells. Further, the barrier properties were found to be lower with a decrease in the angiogenetic signals that included expression of vimentin. Measurement of cytokine levels signified reduced inflammatory signals due to the combinatorial drug treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These findings validated that the triple co-culture Rb model was suitable for evaluating anti-Rb therapeutics and could thereby decrease the immense load on animal trials, which are the primary screens employed for evaluating retinal therapies.

Compartmentalized microfluidic device for in vitro co-culture of retinal cells.

The investigation is focused on the development of a compartmentalized microfluidic device for coculturing the cells of crucial retinal cellular layers and assessing cell-to-cell interactions. A perfusion-based microfluidic co-culture device was employed and computationally validated for determining the pressure drop and fluid flow rate within the device microchannels. Fabrication was performed using PDMS polymer and coating of fibronectin and collagen facilitated adherence of the cells over the glass surface. Microfluidic device successfully supported cell proliferation, under continuous perfusion of 1 µl min-1 flow rate. The barrier integrity of this coculture was confirmed by evaluating the permeability of fluorescently labeled molecules. The coculture expressed characteristic phenotypic protein markers like recoverin, PAX6, for retinal precursor cells, and RPE65 for retinal epithelial cells. The coculture also exhibited basal expression of TNF-α under normal conditions. Differentiated photoreceptor cells positively expressed rhod inherently possess sensitivity toward violet/blue light, which was validated in R28 cells by exposure to light having a wavelength of 405 nm, which significantly decreased cell viability via increased TNF-α production and reduced rhodopsin expression. This proof-of-concept investigation proved the functionality of the retinal coculture, which may be used as an appropriate perfusion-based, preclinical tool for the evaluation of novel retinal drugs and delivery systems.

Three-dimensional spheroids of choroid-retinal vascular endothelial cells as an in-vitro model for diabetic retinopathy: Proof-of-concept investigation.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a primary microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and a vision-threatening condition. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induces neovascularization and causes metabolic damage to the retinal and choroidal vasculature in diabetic patients. Existing drug screening models and treatment strategies for DR need to be refined through the establishment of relevant pre-clinical models, which may enable development of effective and safe therapies. The present study discusses the development of an in-vitro three-dimensional (3D) spheroid model, using RF/6A choroid-retinal vascular endothelial cells, to closely mimic the in-vivo disease condition. Compact, reproducibly-sized, viable and proliferating RF/6A spheroids were fabricated, as confirmed by microscopy, live/dead assay, cell proliferation assay and histological staining. In-vitro angiogenesis was studied by evaluating individual effects of VEGF and an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody, Bevacizumab, and their combination on cellular proliferation and 3D endothelial sprout formation. VEGF stimulated angiogenic sprouting while Bevacizumab demonstrated a dose-dependent anti-angiogenic effect, as determined from the cellular proliferation observed and extent and length of sprouting. These investigations validated the potential of RF/6A spheroids in providing an alternative-to-animal, pathophysiologically-relevant model to facilitate pre-clinical and biomedical research related to DR.

Degenerative disease-on-a-chip: Developing microfluidic models for rapid availability of newer therapies.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the pathophysiology of degenerative diseases pertaining to nervous system, ocular region, bone/cartilage, and muscle are still being comprehended, thus delaying the availability of targeted therapies. PURPOSE AND SCOPE: Newer micro-physiological systems (organ-on-chip technology) involves development of more sophisticated devices, modelling a range of in vitro human tissues and an array of models for diseased conditions. These models expand opportunities for high throughput screening (HTS) of drugs and are likely to be rapid and cost-effective, thus reducing extensive usage of animal models. CONCLUSION: Through this review article, we aim to present an overview of the degenerative disease models that are presently being developed using microfluidic platforms with the aim of mimicking in vivo tissue physiology and micro-architecture. The manuscript provides an overview of the degenerative disease models and their potential for testing and screening of possible biotherapeutic molecules and drugs. It highlights the perspective of the regulatory bodies with respect to the established-on chip models and thereby enhancing its translational potential.

Induction of Apoptosis in HeLa by Corn Small RNAs.

Insights in RNA biology have opened up a plethora of opportunities to explore the small regulatory RNAs from various natural and artificial sources. These small RNAs have been suggested to play a role too in tumor progression by either as oncogenic or tumor suppressor small RNAs. In this study, authors have attempted to evaluate the therapeutic potential of small RNAs fractionated from corn (Zea mays) upon growth and survival of HeLa. Here, authors have employed standard cellular-based approaches including microscopy, spectroscopy, and flow cytometry-based staining assays. Our data indicate that corn small RNAs fraction can appreciably decrease HeLa cell proliferation and survival, which is supported by a number of complementary assays such as Trypan blue dye exclusion, MTT, propidium iodide, and Annexin V/PI apoptotic cell death. Taken together, present finding suggests that corn small RNAs fraction may display up to 70% reduction in HeLa cell viability. Furthermore, these data indicate that around 40-50% of HeLa cells become apoptotic due to exogenous use of corn small. Overall, this finding proposes that possibility of cross-kingdom anticancer use of small RNAs from corn and present data need to be explored in depth.

Induction of S-phase Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in HeLa Cells by Small RNAs Fraction of Solanum tuberosum L.

BACKGROUND: In cancer therapeutics, several new classes of small molecules based targeted drug options are reported including peptide mimetic and small RNAs therapeutics. OBJECTIVE: Small RNAs represent a class of short non-coding endogenous RNAs that play an important role in transcriptional and post transcriptional gene regulation among varied types of species including plants and animals. METHODS: To address the role of small RNAs from plant sources upon cancer cells, authors report on the effects of small RNAs fraction of potato in in-vitro model of human derived HeLa cancer cells. This paper reports the anti-proliferative and anti-survival effect of small RNAs fraction of S. tuberosum L. (potato) tuber tissue. Here, authors employed small RNAs fractionation protocol, cell viability, cell cytotoxicity MTT, PI stained cell cycle analysis and FITC-Annexin-V/PI stained apoptosis assays. RESULTS: In this paper, small RNAs fractions of potato clearly indicate 40-50% inhibition of HeLa cell proliferation and viability. Interestingly, flow cytometer data point out appreciable increase from 7% to 14% of S-phase in HeLa cells by displaying the presence of an S-phase cell cycle arrest. Further, arrest in S-phase of HeLa cells is also supported by an appreciable increase in total <2N plus >4N DNA containing HeLa cells over 2N containing HeLa cells. For apoptotic assay, data suggest a significant increase in apoptotic HeLa cells from (5%) control treated HeLa cells to (18%) small RNAs treated HeLa cells. CONCLUSION: Taken together, findings suggest that small RNAs fractions of potato can induce Sphase cell cycle arrest and these agents can act as an anti-proliferative agent in HeLa cells. This paper proposes a huge scope for novel finding to dissect out the small RNAs target within HeLa cells and other cancer cell types.

Induction of Apoptotic Death and Cell Cycle Arrest in HeLa Cells by Extracellular Factors of Breast Cancer Cells

Background: There are evidences on the role of extracellular factors in cellular communication between cancer cells and non-cancerous cells to support tumor progression and a phenomenon of cancer cachexia. However, evidences are scarce to show the effects of extracellular factors from one carcinoma microenvironment upon growth and survival of another carcinoma. Methodology: To address the above issue, we have selected excised breast carcinoma tissue samples and in vitro grown MCF-7 sources of extracellular factors and tested their effects to evaluate growth and proliferation inhibitory potential against a cervical carcinoma cell line HeLa. Results: Data from the in vitro experiments like Trypan blue dye exclusion, MTT assay, cell cycle assay and annexin V/PI staining lead us to suggest that the extracellular factors collected from the culture medium of in vitro grown MCF-7 and excised breast carcinoma tissue play an apoptosis inducing and cell cycle arrest role in HeLa. In these in vitro experiments, we detected the presence of up to 40-50% apoptotic cell death in HeLa cells and increase in G2-M cell cycle phase from 11%-25% due to treatment with extracellular factors from human breast carcinoma cells. Discussion and Conclusion: These observations are novel and suggest that extracellular factors from breast carcinoma play an apoptosis inducing and growth inhibitory role upon on HeLa cells. This study can also support the concept of cancer cachexia and a possible hypothesis for rare chance of synchronous two or more primary tumor in a single patient.

Mutual concessions and compromises between stromal cells and cancer cells: driving tumor development and drug resistance.

BACKGROUND: Various cancers have been found to be associated with heterogeneous and adaptive tumor microenvironments (TMEs) and to be driven by the local TMEs in which they thrive. Cancer heterogeneity plays an important role in tumor cell survival, progression and drug resistance. The diverse cellular components of the TME may include cancer-associated fibroblasts, adipocytes, pericytes, mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial cells, lymphocytes and other immune cells. These components may support tumor development through the secretion of growth factors, evasion from immune checkpoints, metabolic adaptations, modulations of the extracellular matrix, activation of oncogenes and the acquisition of drug resistance. Here, we will address recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying stromal-tumor cell interactions, with special emphasis on basic and pre-clinical information that may facilitate the design of novel personalized cancer therapies. CONCLUSIONS: This review presents a holistic view on the translational potential of the interplay between stromal cells and cancer cells. This interplay is currently being employed for the development of promising preclinical and clinical biomarkers, and the design of small molecule inhibitors, antibodies and small RNAs for (combinatorial) cancer treatment options. In addition, nano-carriers, tissue scaffolds and 3-D based matrices are being developed to precisely and safely deliver these compounds.

Modulating secreted components of tumor microenvironment: A masterstroke in tumor therapeutics.

The microenvironment in which cancer resides plays an important role in regulating cancer survival, progression, malignancy and drug resistance. Tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of heterogeneous number and types of cellular and non-cellular components that vary in relation to tumor phenotype and genotype. In recent, non-cellular secreted components of microenvironmental heterogeneity have been suggested to contain various growth factors, cytokines, RNA, DNA, metabolites, structural matrix and matricellular proteins. These non-cellular components have been indicated to orchestrate numerous ways to support cancer survival and progression by providing metabolites, energy, growth signals, evading immune surveillance, drug resistance environment, metastatic and angiogenesis cues. Thus, switching action from pro-cancer to anti-cancer activities of these secreted components of TME has been considered as a new avenue in cancer therapeutics and drug resistance. In this report, we summarize the recent pre-clinical and clinical evidences to emphasize the importance of non-cellular components of TME in achieving precision therapeutics and biomarker study.

Natural and artificial small RNAs: a promising avenue of nucleic acid therapeutics for cancer.

Since the failure of traditional therapy, gene therapy using functional DNA sequence and small RNA/DNA molecules (oligonucleotide) has become a promising avenue for cancer treatment. The discovery of RNA molecules has impelled researchers to investigate small regulatory RNA from various natural and artificial sources and determine a cogent target for controlling tumor progression. Small regulatory RNAs are used for therapeutic silencing of oncogenes and aberrant DNA repair response genes. Despite their advantages, therapies based on small RNAs exhibit limitations in terms of stability of therapeutic drugs, precision-based delivery in tissues, precision-based intercellular and intracellular targeting, and tumor heterogeneity-based responses. In this study, we summarize the potential and drawbacks of small RNAs in nucleic acid therapeutics for cancer.

Molecular approaches to potentiate cisplatin responsiveness in carcinoma therapeutics.

INTRODUCTION: Cisplatin has been considered as the crucial regimen of widely prescribed chemotherapy treatment for cancer. The advancing treatment of cancers has reached the border line, where tumors show resistance to cisplatin and may thwart its use. Other than issues of drug resistance, cisplatin has been reported to evince side effects such as nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity. Therefore, there is a compelling need to untangle the problems associated with cisplatin treatment in carcinoma. Areas covered: In this review, we summarize the current status of combinatorial options to bring about better pre-clinical and clinical cisplatin drug responses in carcinoma. We begin with problems associated with cisplatin drugs and current avenues such as depicting molecular modulation of enhanced influx and reduced efflux. We also discuss the scope of the DNA damage response landscape and contribution of regulatory small RNAs towards potentiation of cisplatin responses. Expert commentary: The extensive use of cisplatin and incessant high drug dose have prompted the scientific community to limit the burden of cisplatin without compromising therapeutic success. Currently, there are reports on the potential use of other non-toxic small molecule inhibitors, interference RNAs and peptide mimetics to get rid of cellular adversities responsible for cisplatin resistance and high dose effects.

Non-homologous End Joining Inhibitor SCR-7 to Exacerbate Low-dose Doxorubicin Cytotoxicity in HeLa Cells.

Among the genotoxic drug regimens, doxorubicin (DOX) is known for its high-dose side effects in several carcinomas, including cervical cancer. This study reports on testing the combined use of a DOX genotoxic drug and SCR-7 non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) inhibitor for HeLa cells. An in vitro DNA damaging assay of DOX was performed on plasmid and genomic DNA substrate. In vitro cytotoxicity was investigated using trypan blue dye exclusion, DNA metabolizing, and propidium iodide-based flow cytometric assays. DOX (between 20-100 µM) displayed clear DNA binding and interaction, such as the shearing and smearing of plasmid and genomic DNA. DNA metabolizing assay data indicate that HeLa lysate with DOX and SCR-7 treatment exhibited better in vitro plasmid DNA stability compared with DOX treatment alone. SCR-7 augmented the effects of low-dose DOX by demonstrating enhanced cell death from 15% to 50%. The flow cytometric data also supported that the combination of SCR-7 with DOX lead to a 23% increase in propidium iodide-based HeLa staining, thus indicating enhanced death. In summary, the inhibition of NHEJ DNA repair pathway can potentiate low-dose DOX to produce appreciable cytotoxicity in HeLa cells.

Potential of Taming MicroRNA on Driver Seat to Control Mitochondrial Horses in Breast Carcinoma.

Breast cancer among women is one of the most common carcinomas worldwide. Compared to developed countries, the breast cancer cases reported in India have boosted rapidly. At the same time, alarming statistics show that ratio of mortality cases over the total incidences is significantly high in comparison to developed world (Global Heath Estimates, WHO 2015). In recent times, several oncogenic signaling pathways have shown convergent effects on various types of cancer cell metabolism including breast cancer leading to tumor development. In 1931, German biochemist Otto Warburg revealed that cancer cells burn sugar (glycolysis) differently than normal cells. Cancer cells prefer to burn sugar over energy rich fats even when cellular oxygen conditions favor mitochondrial fat burning. Further, Warburg hypothesized that cancer is caused by mitochondrial dysfunction forcing the cells to use aerobic glycolysis instead of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical classes of small ~22 nt non-coding endogenous RNAs implicated in gene expression regulation. To date, miRNAs have shown to regulate many cellular metabolic pathways critical for breast carcinoma patho-physiology. There is common consent that miRNAs dedicated to mitochondria and cellular metabolism have profound positive effects on breast carcinoma survival and metastasis. Therefore, in future there is huge scope for identification of miRNA types playing as a driver in mitochondria for breast tumor development. Further, several strategies to taming as well as knocking down these miRNA in breast tumor would be one of the fascinating approaches in medical sciences and cancer therapy. Here, we review updated scientific findings and possible therapeutic interventions with reference to miRNAs, mitochondria, cellular metabolism and breast carcinoma.

Export of microRNAs: A Bridge between Breast Carcinoma and Their Neighboring Cells.

Breast cancer is a leading type of cancer among women in India as well as worldwide. According to the WHO 2015 report, it has been anticipated that there would be a twofold rise in the death due to breast cancer among women. The heterogeneous property of breast carcinoma has been suggested to be linked with dedicated set of communication and signaling pathway with their surroundings, which culminate into progression and development of the cancer. Among the plethora of communication tools in the hand of breast carcinoma cells is the recently appreciated exocytosis of the tightly packed short non-coding RNA molecules, predominantly the microRNAs (miRNAs). Recent studies suggest that miRNAs may work as courier messengers to participate in endocrine and paracrine signaling to facilitate information transfer between breast carcinoma and their neighboring cells. Evidence suggests that breast tumor cells communicate via packaged miRNAs in the tumor-released microvesicles, which enrich the tumor microenvironment. There is a strong view that dissecting out the mechanistic and regulatory aspects of miRNA export and role may uncover many prospects for overcoming the signaling defects and thereby controlling aberrant cell division. The detection of circulating miRNAs associated with breast carcinoma can also be used as biomarkers for early diagnosis. This review article is an attempt to provide updated knowledge on implications of short RNAs and their transport in the breast cancer pathophysiology.