| 초록 |
Interactions between tumor cells and macrophages have been of interest because macrophages can interfere with tumor progression or promote tumor growth. To address the need for an in vitro system that mimics tumor-immune microenvironment, we developed a co-culture matrix for cancer cell (A549) and macrophage (U937) based on photo-crosslinked poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel. A549 cells encapsulated in microgels were embedded in bulk hydrogel in which U937 were separately encapsulated. Such a matrix allowed cell proximity and different degradabilities of each hydrogels facilitated on-demand cell harvesting for orthogonal assessments. Using this co-culture system, the metabolic activity and the caspase activity of A549 cells decreased especially when co-cultured with M0 and M1 macrophages, indicating suppression of tumor growth. Besides, the co-cultured monocytes affected the drug-resistance of A549 cells against anti-cancer drugs. |
