Development of a novel 3D tri-culture system in an in vitro non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) model

Introduction: Different molecular processes lead to metastatic spread and the occurrence of tumour cell resistance to therapeutic interventions. Among them, the stromal compartment of tumours plays a key role. We describe the development of our 3D co-culture to a novel tri-culture model, using non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines in combination with a lung fibroblast and two different endothelial cell lines in a hanging drop technology. Methods: 96-well hanging drop microtiter plates (InSphero AG, Zürich, Switzerland) were applied for the production of 3D mono-, co- and tri-cultures including the human…