Hybrid Spheroid Technology to Expand Breast Cancer Cells

This study will adapt and commercialize the hybrid spheroid tumor (HST) technology for in vitroscale-up and propagation of breast cancer cells derived from patients' tumors. Unlike conventionaltechnologies which only permit the outgrowth of selected cells from primary tumor specimens, HSTmakes it possible to isolate, expand, and preserve the heterogeneity of diverse tumor cells from primarytumor samples. Phase I , focusing on breast cancer, explores the commercialization of this technology.Efforts will be made to scale up cell production to meet the more demanding and standardized GMPrequirements of commercial as opposed to academic research. A battery of monoclonal antibodies(MAbs) will be employed to identify hST-derived breast cancer cells and to characterize theirheterogeneity as compared to that of the original tumor. Reliable GMP-based cryopreservation techniqueswill be developed for long term HST storage to assure availability of viable primary-like tumor cellswhenever needed. In Phase II, tumor cells obtained by HST technology will be employed for steroidreceptor assessment, prognosis determination, chemo and radio-sensitivity testing, other investigativeand diagnostic assays, imaging and therapeutic studies. Results of the proposed research are expectedto assist in commercializing laboratory based methods that will allow a more individualized approach tothe management of cancer patients.