Abstract 103P
Background
Patient-derived xenografts have recently emerged as an innovative approach in personalized medicine research. Although we have successfully demonstrated an efficient method for culturing human colorectal cancer stem cell spheroids from surgical specimens, the development of spheroids from endoscopic specimens is not yet well established. If spheroids can be obtained from endoscopic biopsy specimens, the information obtained from them is expected to contribute to clinical decision making in patients with both early and advanced cancers, and is expected to be applied to elucidating molecular profiling, target drug selection and prediction of therapeutic efficacy.
Methods
In this study, culture conditions and spheroid fixation rates were evaluated. Endoscopic biopsy specimens were obtained from 21 patients with clinically suspected gastrointestinal cancer at multiple centers. Three tumor specimens (∼50 mm3 each) were isolated from each endoscopic biopsy. Tissues were processed within 2 days after endoscopy. First, a portion of the gastrointestinal cancer specimen was washed and minced. Next, the tissue pieces were digested with 2 ml of collagenase solution at 37°C for 60 min and dissociated by pipetting. Epithelial cells were then suspended in Matrigel or collagen and placed in the center of each well of a 12-well cell culture plate. After polymerization of the Matrigel or collagen at 37°C, the epithelial cells were cultured in cancer medium. The medium was changed every other day.
Results
Twenty-one specimens were collected between November 2022 and February 2023. The specimens collected included 15 cases of colorectal cancer, 4 cases of gastric cancer, and 2 cases of esophageal cancer. Matrigel was used in all cases, and collagen-based spheroid establishment was also attempted in 6/21 cases. Spheroids were successfully established from a total of 12 cases (60%): 5 rectal cancers, 3 colon cancers, 2 stomach cancers, and 2 esophageal cancers. The failure to establish spheroids was seemed to be due to a lack of stem cells.
Conclusions
AI image analysis could be considered as a way to improve this process, although it would be important to collect tissue from appropriate sites and collect cancer stem cells.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
Kyodaisha.
Disclosure
H. Satake: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly Japan, Merck Bio Pharma, MSD, Ono Pharmaceutical, Sanofi, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Takeda, Yakult Honsha, Novartis Pharma; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Ono Pharmaceutical, Daiichi Sankyo, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Sanofi; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: Asahi Kasei; Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Member: ASCO, JSMO. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.