Abstract 4227: Human-derived hydrogels to support phenotypic changes in ER+ breast cancer cell line

Abstract Adipose tissue plays a critical role in breast cancer incidence, progression, and response to therapy. The development of human derived 3D culture systems can accelerate the understanding of the role of environmental factors in the progression of Breast cancer as well as a model for preclinical studies during drug development. MCF-7 spheroids were cultured in Obatala Sciences’ Obavate and human-derived hydrogels ObaGel® and ObaGel®-ECM and control media. Organoid structure and phenotypic changes were analyzed via live cell imaging on the Incucyte S3. Migration studies were performed and gene expression analysis of EMT markers. Finally, adipocyte-breast cancer cell crosstalk was evaluated using pooled adipocytes co-cultured with MCF-7 spheroids. The results demonstrated that ObaGel® and ObaGel®-ECM 3D cultures support the growth and proliferation of MCF-7 tumorspheres during an extended culture period. In addition, MCF-7 cells exhibit the characteristic morphology of tumorsphere-forming cells when cultured in Obavate, with morphological changes in the ObaGel® and ObaGel®-ECM 3D. ObaGel® and ObaGel®-ECM differentially supports MCF-7 migratory behavior and phenotypic changes characteristic of EMT. Conclusions: Human derived hydrogels are developed to support 3D culture of breast cancer cells and to recapitulate the phenotypic changes associated with their metastatic potential. Furthermore, the use of a human derived 3D coculture system provides a platform for the understanding of adipose tissue-breast cancer cell interactions as it relates to breast cancer initiation, progression, and treatment response. Defining these interactions will support the development of a tool for future use in patient stratification and precision medicine in identifying underlying causes of breast cancer progression and response to treatments. Citation Format: Cecilia G. Sanchez, Katie Hamel, Emma Rogers, Jordan Robinson, Haley Lassiter, Trivia Frazier, Christopher Williams. Human-derived hydrogels to support phenotypic changes in ER+ breast cancer cell line [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 4227.