Spheroids in Cancer Research

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-IX

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2. Liquid-Overlay Culture of Cellular Spheroids

   • J. Carlsson, J. M. Yuhas

   Pages 1-23

3. Growth and Cellular Characteristics of Multicell Spheroids

   • R. M. Sutherland, R. E. Durand

   Pages 24-49

4. Regulatory Mechanisms in Spheroidal Aggregates of Normal and Cancerous Cells

   • J. Landry, J. P. Freyer

   Pages 50-66

5. Intercellular Communication in Spheroids

   • H. Dertinger, D. F. Hülser

   Pages 67-83

6. Spheroids for Studies of Drug Effects

   • T. Nederman, P. Twentyman

   Pages 84-102

7. Radiation Studies with Spheroids

   • R. E. Durand, R. M. Sutherland

   Pages 103-115

8. Microenvironmental Conditions in Multicellular Spheroids Grown Under Liquid-Overlay Tissue Culture Conditions

   • H. Acker

   Pages 116-133

9. Microelectrode Measurements of Oxygen Tension Distributions in Multicellular Spheroids Cultured in Spinner Flasks

   • W. Mueller-Klieser

   Pages 134-149

10. Profiles of Oxygen Partial Pressure and Oxygen Consumption Inside Multicellular Spheroids

    • U. Grossmann

    Pages 150-161

11. Oxygen Supply to Spheroids in Spinner and Liquid-Overlay Culture

    • A. J. Franko, H. I. Freedman, C. J. Koch

    Pages 162-167

12. Modeling and Simulation of Growing Spheroids

    • W. Düchting, T. Vogelsaenger

    Pages 168-179

13. Back Matter

    Pages 180-186

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Malignant growth of cells is often characterized by disorganization of tissue structure, abnormal blood vessel development, and insuffi­ cient vascular supply. As a consequence, the cancer cells grow in a three-dimensional pattern in atypical microenvironments which include physical, chemical, and nutritional stresses. Necrosis often develops some distance away from the blood vessels. In association with an inherent instability in malignant cell populations, and also because of the changing micromilieu, significant cellular heteroge­ neity emerges with regard to various phenotypic characteristics. Both biological behavior and responses to therapeutic agents can be affected. A variety of in vitro and in vivo experimental models exist for research on properties of cancer cells during growth. The multicell spheroid model was developed as a system of intermediate complexity in which three dimensional growth of cells enhances cell-cell interactions and creates micro environments that simulate the conditions in intervascular microregions of tumors or microme­ tastatic foci. Spheroids may change their cellular characteristics with changing environments during growth. These can be studied under controlled conditions in vitro. Interest in details of experimental methods for this model system stimulated the organization of the First International Conference in Rochester, NY in 1980, the Proceedings of which were summarized in Cancer Research in 1981. Since then there has been a rapid increase in the use of this model system, and increased research on the significance of cell-cell and cell-microenvironment interactions in biology in general.

• Tumor
• biology
• cancer
• cancer research
• cell
• tissue
• tumors

• Max-Plank-Institut für Systemphysiologie, Dortmund 1, Germany

  Helmut Acker

• Department of Radiobiology, National Defence Research Institut, Umea, Sweden

  Jörgen Carlsson

• Medical Biophysics Unit, B. C. Cancer Research Center, Vancouver, Canada

  Ralph Durand

• Division Experimental Therapeutics, University of Rochester, Cancer Center, Rochester, USA

  Robert M. Sutherland

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