Self-Assembled Peptide Habitats to Model Tumor Metastasis
Metastatic tumours are complex ecosystems; a community of multiple cell types, including cancerous cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells that exist within a supportive and specific microenvironment. The interplay of these cells, together with tissue specific chemical, structural and temporal signals...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Gels |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/8/6/332 |
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| author | Noora Al Balushi Mitchell Boyd-Moss Rasika M. Samarasinghe Aaqil Rifai Stephanie J. Franks Kate Firipis Benjamin M. Long Ian A. Darby David R. Nisbet Dodie Pouniotis Richard J. Williams |
| author_facet | Noora Al Balushi Mitchell Boyd-Moss Rasika M. Samarasinghe Aaqil Rifai Stephanie J. Franks Kate Firipis Benjamin M. Long Ian A. Darby David R. Nisbet Dodie Pouniotis Richard J. Williams |
| author_sort | Noora Al Balushi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Metastatic tumours are complex ecosystems; a community of multiple cell types, including cancerous cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells that exist within a supportive and specific microenvironment. The interplay of these cells, together with tissue specific chemical, structural and temporal signals within a three-dimensional (3D) habitat, direct tumour cell behavior, a subtlety that can be easily lost in 2D tissue culture. Here, we investigate a significantly improved tool, consisting of a novel matrix of functionally programmed peptide sequences, self-assembled into a scaffold to enable the growth and the migration of multicellular lung tumour spheroids, as proof-of-concept. This 3D functional model aims to mimic the biological, chemical, and contextual cues of an in vivo tumor more closely than a typically used, unstructured hydrogel, allowing spatial and temporal activity modelling. This approach shows promise as a cancer model, enhancing current understandings of how tumours progress and spread over time within their microenvironment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:44:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a40e3f0b3cda4a0f8bc807966859222d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2310-2861 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:44:59Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Gels |
| spelling | doaj.art-a40e3f0b3cda4a0f8bc807966859222d2023-11-23T16:45:05ZengMDPI AGGels2310-28612022-05-018633210.3390/gels8060332Self-Assembled Peptide Habitats to Model Tumor MetastasisNoora Al Balushi0Mitchell Boyd-Moss1Rasika M. Samarasinghe2Aaqil Rifai3Stephanie J. Franks4Kate Firipis5Benjamin M. Long6Ian A. Darby7David R. Nisbet8Dodie Pouniotis9Richard J. Williams10School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, AustraliaSchool of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, AustraliaSchool of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216, AustraliaSchool of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, AustraliaLaboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Research School of Chemistry and the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, AustraliaSchool of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, AustraliaFuture Regions Research Centre, Federation University Australia, Mount Helen, VIC 3353, AustraliaSchool of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, AustraliaLaboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Research School of Chemistry and the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, AustraliaSchool of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, AustraliaSchool of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, AustraliaMetastatic tumours are complex ecosystems; a community of multiple cell types, including cancerous cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells that exist within a supportive and specific microenvironment. The interplay of these cells, together with tissue specific chemical, structural and temporal signals within a three-dimensional (3D) habitat, direct tumour cell behavior, a subtlety that can be easily lost in 2D tissue culture. Here, we investigate a significantly improved tool, consisting of a novel matrix of functionally programmed peptide sequences, self-assembled into a scaffold to enable the growth and the migration of multicellular lung tumour spheroids, as proof-of-concept. This 3D functional model aims to mimic the biological, chemical, and contextual cues of an in vivo tumor more closely than a typically used, unstructured hydrogel, allowing spatial and temporal activity modelling. This approach shows promise as a cancer model, enhancing current understandings of how tumours progress and spread over time within their microenvironment.https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/8/6/332self-assemblypeptidehydrogelfunctionalisationcancermatrix |
| spellingShingle | Noora Al Balushi Mitchell Boyd-Moss Rasika M. Samarasinghe Aaqil Rifai Stephanie J. Franks Kate Firipis Benjamin M. Long Ian A. Darby David R. Nisbet Dodie Pouniotis Richard J. Williams Self-Assembled Peptide Habitats to Model Tumor Metastasis Gels self-assembly peptide hydrogel functionalisation cancer matrix |
| title | Self-Assembled Peptide Habitats to Model Tumor Metastasis |
| title_full | Self-Assembled Peptide Habitats to Model Tumor Metastasis |
| title_fullStr | Self-Assembled Peptide Habitats to Model Tumor Metastasis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Self-Assembled Peptide Habitats to Model Tumor Metastasis |
| title_short | Self-Assembled Peptide Habitats to Model Tumor Metastasis |
| title_sort | self assembled peptide habitats to model tumor metastasis |
| topic | self-assembly peptide hydrogel functionalisation cancer matrix |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/8/6/332 |
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