Studying the biological characteristics of bladder cancer in primary culture can be an effective way for diagnostic and prognostic purposes, as well as choosing a scheme for personalized therapy.
Aim: To characterize and compare 2D and 3D primary cell cultures obtained from the same tumor sample resected from a patient with high-grade bladder cancer.
Materials and methods: 2D and 3D primary cell cultures were obtained from explants of resected bladder cancer. Glucose metabolism, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, and level of apoptosis were studied.
Results: Multicellular tumor spheroids (3D) differ from planar culture (2D) by more pronounced consumption of glucose from the culture medium (1.7 times higher than 2D on Day 3 of culture), increased lactate dehydrogenase activity (2.5 times higher on Day 3 vs. Day 1 of cultivation, while in 2D culture LDH activity is constant), stronger acidification of the extracellular environment (pH dropped by 1 in 3D and by 0.5 in 2D). Spheroids demonstrate enhanced resistance to apoptosis (1.4 times higher).
Conclusion: This methodological technique can be used both for tumor characterization and for selection of optimal postoperative chemotherapeutic schemes.