The mission of the 3D Cell Culture Core (3D3C) facility is to provide access and expertise in the art of 3D cell culture for basic and translational research projects. By fostering interaction between engineers and biologists our aim is to facilitate the development and implementation of optimal cell culture models. To achieve this aim, our activities are geared toward education and training, project development, and being a home for specific research endeavors. Our interactions with faculty and trainees span various departments from Engineering, Physics to Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, Health and Kinesiology, Comparative Pathobiology and currently deal with projects related to cancer (breast, bladder, glioblastoma, head & neck), aging, liver metabolism, biomaterial development and applications for neuroscience. The 3D3C is leading new directions for research with organs‐on‐a‐chip (or tissue‐chips) via collaborations, staff‐for‐hire services and its own projects that bring new models needed for research programs of the Purdue community. Here we present the ‘big tumor’ project led by 3D3C and done in collaboration with engineers and pathologists. Producing tumors with minimum sizes detected in vivo (at least 0.5 cm in diameter) will allow researchers to better understand tumor biology and improve drug delivery and the testing of engineered devices to fight cancer. However, one of the challenges to overcome is the production of tumors in which cells do not heavily die by necrosis due to the lack of oxygen and nutrients. Rare published reports show big tumors formed by cell aggregation over a 24‐hour period, with extended necrosis in their center. Yet, these conditions do not allow in vivo‐like tumor organization, and only a small subset of tumor types is indeed characterized by extended necrosis. With our method we can produce, within a few days, tumors up to 1.5 cm in diameter in which cells reproduce the pathological traits of the cancer type represented by these cells, as measured by cellularity, morphology, budding and nuclear pleomorphism. Tumors are viable for several days, show delivery of anticancer drugs throughout and can be made heterogeneous for cell phenotypes as in vivo. The ‘big tumor’ method will now be applied for projects supported by a Showalter award focused on the impact of heterogeneous concentrations of immune cells on cancer phenotype as a collaboration with Dr. Matosevic.

Lelièvre SA, Kwok T, Chittiboyina S. Architecture in 3D cell culture: An essential feature for in vitro toxicology. Toxicol In Vitro. 2017 Dec;45(Pt 3):287‐ 295

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

• Tim Kwok (2018), "3D Cell Culture Core (3D3C) Facility: A Breadth of Services in Biological and Engineering Research," https://nanohub.org/resources/29116.

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