Abstract PO-077: High-throughput 3D-spheroid invasion assay: A powerful tool to identify novel drugs targeting tumor micro-environment in HNSCC

Abstract

Abstract Cancer metastasis is a complex cascade that involves activation of cancer cell invasion and migration. This activation is greatly attributed by multiple factors, including the tumor-microenvironment (TME). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), a prominent cell type within the TME, have been shown to promote cancer cell invasion and migration, causing metastasis in various cancers including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The molecular mechanisms of how CAFs promote HNSCC invasion remain elusive. Our research goal is to understand how CAFs influence HNSCC cells to become invasive and potentially metastatic. Using a top-down research approach, our aim is to identify novel therapeutic chemical probe/drug regimens that potentially target CAF-dependent HNSCC cancer cell-invasion. In-order to perform high-throughput small molecule screens, we have established a 384-well format, three-dimensional (3D) spheroid invasion assay, as a powerful tool to study CAF-dependent HNSCC cancer cell invasion. This platform is currently being used to screen small molecule libraries and identify putative molecular targets, providing insights into underlying mechanisms of CAF-induced cancer cell invasion and candidate therapeutic strategies. Citation Format: Kunal Karve, Stephanie Poon, Panagiotis Prinos, Laurie Ailles. High-throughput 3D-spheroid invasion assay: A powerful tool to identify novel drugs targeting tumor micro-environment in HNSCC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-AHNS Head and Neck Cancer Conference: Innovating through Basic, Clinical, and Translational Research; 2023 Jul 7-8; Montreal, QC, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2023;29(18_Suppl):Abstract nr PO-077.