Lonkwic Karolina M, Zajdel Radosław, Kaczka Krzysztof
Clinic of General and Oncological Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, 92-213 Lodz, Poland.
Mabion S.A., 95-050 Konstantynow Lodzki, Poland.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Jul 4;26(13):6478. doi: 10.3390/ijms26136478.
Three-dimensional (3D) spheroid models have revolutionized in vitro cancer research by offering more physiologically relevant alternatives to traditional two-dimensional (2D) cultures. A systematic search identifies English-language studies on patient-derived cancer spheroids for drug screening, using defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, with data extracted on cancer type, culture methods, spheroid characteristics, and therapeutic responses. This manuscript evaluates the methods for spheroid formation and the cellular sources used, highlighting the diverse applications and preferences in this field. The five most investigated cancer origins for spheroid seeding are breast, colon, lung, ovary, and brain cancers, reflecting their clinical importance and research focus. Among seeding methodologies, forced-floating and scaffold-based methods predominate, demonstrating reliability and versatility in spheroid generation. Other techniques, including microfluidics, bioprinting, hanging drop, and suspension culture also play significant roles, each with distinct advantages and limitations. This review underscores the increasing use of spheroid models and the need for standardization in methodologies to enhance the reproducibility and translational potential in cancer research.
三维（3D）球体模型为体外癌症研究带来了变革，它为传统二维（2D）培养提供了更具生理相关性的替代方案。通过系统检索，使用明确的纳入和排除标准，确定了关于患者来源的癌症球体用于药物筛选的英文研究，并提取了有关癌症类型、培养方法、球体特征和治疗反应的数据。本文评估了球体形成方法和所使用的细胞来源，突出了该领域的多样应用和偏好。用于接种球体的研究最多的五种癌症起源是乳腺癌、结肠癌、肺癌、卵巢癌和脑癌，这反映了它们的临床重要性和研究重点。在接种方法中，强制漂浮法和基于支架的方法占主导地位，在球体生成中显示出可靠性和通用性。其他技术，包括微流体技术、生物打印、悬滴法和悬浮培养也发挥着重要作用，每种技术都有其独特的优点和局限性。本综述强调了球体模型的使用日益增加，以及在方法学上进行标准化以提高癌症研究的可重复性和转化潜力的必要性。
