Self‐Assembling Peptide Gels for 3D Prostate Cancer Spheroid Culture

Progress in prostate cancer research is presently limited by a shortage of reliable in vitro model systems. The authors describe a novel self‐assembling peptide, bQ13, which forms nanofibers and gels useful for the 3D culture of prostate cancer spheroids, with improved cytocompatibility compared to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Macromolecular bioscience 2019-01, Vol.19 (1), p.e1800249-n/a
Main Authors: Hainline, Kelly M., Gu, Fangqi, Handley, Jacqueline F., Tian, Ye F., Wu, Yaoying, Wet, Larischa, Vander Griend, Donald J., Collier, Joel H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biocompatibility
biomaterial
Cancer
Cell culture
Cell Culture Techniques - methods
Cell Line, Tumor
fibrillizing
Gels
hydrogel
Male
Mechanical properties
Mice
Morphology
Nanofibers
Nanofibers - chemistry
Peptides
Peptides - chemistry
Peptides - pharmacology
Phenylthiohydantoin - analogs & derivatives
Phenylthiohydantoin - pharmacology
Prostate cancer
Prostate-Specific Antigen - metabolism
Prostatic Neoplasms - drug therapy
Prostatic Neoplasms - metabolism
Prostatic Neoplasms - pathology
Spheroids
Spheroids, Cellular - metabolism
Spheroids, Cellular - pathology
supramolecular
Viability
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Summary:Progress in prostate cancer research is presently limited by a shortage of reliable in vitro model systems. The authors describe a novel self‐assembling peptide, bQ13, which forms nanofibers and gels useful for the 3D culture of prostate cancer spheroids, with improved cytocompatibility compared to related fibrillizing peptides. The mechanical properties of bQ13 gels can be controlled by adjusting peptide concentration, with storage moduli ranging between 1 and 10 kPa. bQ13's ability to remain soluble at mildly basic pH considerably improved the viability of encapsulated cells compared to other self‐assembling nanofiber‐forming peptides. LNCaP cells formed spheroids in bQ13 gels with similar morphologies and sizes to those formed in Matrigel or RADA16‐I. Moreover, prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) is produced by LNCaP cells in all matrices, and PSA production is more responsive to enzalutamide treatment in bQ13 gels than in other fibrillized peptide gels. bQ13 represents an attractive platform for further tailoring within 3D cell culture systems. A fibrillizing peptide is designed that self‐assembles into β‐sheet nanofiber gels with improved cytocompatibility compared to related peptides (nanofibers shown, left). These gels supported the culture of prostate cancer cell spheroids (right).
ISSN:1616-5187
1616-5195
DOI:10.1002/mabi.201800249