Sakshi Garg, Merck, Darmstadt
Over the last decades, data has emerged highlighting that conventional 2D cell culture tumor models fail to capture important aspects of tumor physiology such as the delicate microenvironment, cell-cell communication, diffusion and availability of nutrients etc. The predictive value of phenotypic screening, especially in the field of tumor biology, is directly correlated to how closely the chosen assay represents the in vivo conditions. With that in mind, we at Merck aim to develop an in vitro model that closely mimics the cell physiology and biological characteristics of tumors for drug screening.
To do so we use the 3D cell culture system known as cellular spheroids combined with a co-culture system to be able to recapture the tumor microenvironment better. Such a model is advantageous in that it can be scaled up for high content screening, it is robust and as well as highly reproducible. Although simplified, cellular spheroids are a great tool that provide deeper insights into questions pertaining to tumor physiology, particularly tumor metabolism.
