TMIC-22. ENRICHMENT OF GLIOBLASTOMA STEM CELLS IN PNIPAAm SCAFFOLDS

Glioblastoma (GBM), the most common and lethal classification of primary adult brain tumor, is maintained by a subpopulation of GBM stem-like cells (GSCs) that exhibit a capacity for indefinite self-renewal and are capable of multipotent differentiation. GSCs are also more tumorigenic, invasive, and resistant to clinical therapies than differentiated GBM cells. Like neural stem cells, it is well-appreciated that GSCs are maintained by a local niche microenvironment that regulates stem-like phenotypes via soluble signaling factors and interactions with components of the extracellular matrix. GSCs are typically propagated in vitro as neurospheres that tend to grow a heterogeneous population of stem and non-stem cells due to poor diffusion of soluble factors through the multicellular spheres. Although these simplified culture conditions are useful for expanding GSC populations, they present limited opportunities for studying how the microenvironment influences regulation and maintenance of GSCs. Previously, we reported the design and implementation of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-Jeffamine® acrylamide) copolymers, termed PNJ copolymers, as temperature-responsive scaffolds to enable serial 3D culture and expansion of immortalized GBM cell lines. We recently discovered that some of these biomaterials are capable of selectively enriching GSC phenotypes, specifically in vitro self-renewal capacity, in multiple patient derived cultures. When compared to standard neurosphere cond...
Source: Neuro-Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT Source Type: research