13. Patient-derived scaffolds representing breast cancer microenvironments influence chemotherapy responses in adapted cancer cells consistent with clinical features
In this important publication, PDSs from 78 breast cancer samples with known patient outcomes, were prepared and repopulated with donor breast cancer cell lines, followed by treatment with 5-fluorouracil or doxorubicin after cellular adaption to the various microenvironments. Interestingly, the chemotherapy treatments induced distinct gene expression patterns in adapted cancer cells with clusters of similar treatment responses. Specific gene changes monitored post-treatment were also significantly correlated with clinical data, supporting that differences in treatment responses defined by scaffold-cultures have potential prognostic and treatment predictive values.
