Abstract 5027: Heterocellular 3D scaffolds as biomimetic to recapitulate the tumor microenvironment of peritoneal metastases in vitro and in vivo

Abstract

Abstract Peritoneal metastases cause cancer mortality and preclinical models are urgently needed to boost therapeutic progress. This study reports on a hybrid hydrogel-polylactic acid (PLA) scaffold that mimics the architecture of peritoneal metastases at the qualitative, quantitative and spatial level. Porous PLA scaffolds with controllable pore size, shape, and surface properties are functionalized by type I collagen hydrogel and co-seeding of cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) increases cancer cell adhesion, recovery, and exponential growth by in situ heterocellular spheroid formation. Scaffold implantation at the peritoneal wall allows long-term follow-up (>14 weeks) and results in a time-dependent increase in vascularization, which correlates with cancer cell colonization in vivo. CAF, endothelial cells, macrophages and cancer cells show spatial and quantitative aspects as similarly observed in patient-derived peritoneal metastases. CAF provide long-term secretion of complementary paracrine factors implicated in spheroid formation in vitro as well as in recruitment and organization of host cells in vivo. In conclusion, the multifaceted heterocellular interactions that occur within peritoneal metastases are reproduced in this tissue-engineered implantable scaffold model. Citation Format: Olivier De Wever, Emiel Dejaeghere, Elly De Vlieghere. Heterocellular 3D scaffolds as biomimetic to recapitulate the tumor microenvironment of peritoneal metastases in vitro and in vivo [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5027.