Synergy of matrix stiffness and EGFR inhibition in apoptosis of pancreatic tumor cells in 3D

摘要

This study highlights the importance of using a 3D matrix to study the effect of therapeutic drugs on pancreatic cancer cell survival. An EGFR peptide inhibitor, NYQQN, was found to be effective only in cell-responsive and stiffer matrices. Furthermore, the effective peptide dosage on inducing cell death was lower for cells encapsulated in a stiffer matrix than that used in a conventional 2D culture (i.e., 2 mM in 3D vs. 4 mM in 2D). In summary, this gel platform provides a highly tunable synthetic tumor microenvironment with precise controls over matrix properties for in vitro cancer cell research.