THREE-DIMENSIONAL CULTURE SCAFFOLDS FOR OSTEOSARCOMA CANCER STEM CELLS

Abstract

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of tumour cells that are highly tumorigenic with self-renewing potential. In osteosarcoma, these cells are responsible for drug resistance and cancer relapse. Studying CSCs in vitro can provide a better development of therapeutic strategies by understanding the mechanism of tumorigenesis and chemoresistance in osteosarcoma. Cell culture plays a crucial role in cancer research, stem cell studies, and drug discovery. While two-dimensional (2D) methods are commonly used for cell culturing, recent advancements in three-dimensional (3D) techniques offer promising opportunities for conducting complex experiments. With 3D cell culture, the cellular environment can be manipulated to closely mimic in vivo conditions, resulting in more accurate data about cell-to-cell interactions and tumour characteristics. Various scaffold-based techniques using (1) natural polymers such as hydrogel, collagen type I, agar gel, Matrigel, alginate, bacterial cellulose, hyaluronic acid, and (2) synthetic polymers such as polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) and poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) offer unique advantages and applications for studying osteosarcoma CSCs. Scaffold-free techniques such as ultra-low binding plates and hanging drop are also used to culture osteosarcoma CSCs. This review article describes various 3D culture methods used in forming osteosarcoma CSC spheroids and the expression of stemness markers.