Fibroblasts Influence Survival and Therapeutic Response in a 3D Co-Culture Model
Fig 5
Co- culturing the tumor cells with MRC5 fibroblasts induces differential secretion of growth factors and cytokines.
Tumor cells and fibroblasts were co-cultured for 5 days as described, and supernatants were collected. The levels of EGF, HGF and IL6 secreted by the mono- or co-cultures in the supernatants were measured using Luminex multiplex technology. The relative levels of these secreted factors are plotted in the graphs as the mean fluorescence intensities (MFI). The error bars represent the standard deviation of three replicates. A) The pancreatic and breast cancer co-culture supernatants contained increased EGF levels compared to the lung cancer co-culture supernatants. B) Increased HGF levels were detected in the supernatants from the lung cancer co-cultures but not in those from the corresponding mono-cultures. The Lung fibroblast cell line MRC5 and the TAFs, 129A, also secreted high levels of HGF into the supernatants in monoculture. C) High levels of IL6 were detected in the supernatants from BT20 cells co-cultured with MRC5 or 161A primary breast TAFs and in the supernatants from the H596 cell line mono- and co-cultures. The fibroblasts cell lines MRC5, and LT2 and the primary TAFs, 129A also produced IL6 in mono-culture.