The use of cell cultures as a personalized treatment tool in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in both sexes and for all ages, representing 4.7% of all cancer deaths in the world.

Within pancreatic cancer, one of the most aggressive types is ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which has a 5-year survival rate of only 9%.

Pancreatic cancer treatment

Surgery is the curative treatment of choice for patients with PDAC in early stages (20% of cases), while for those patients diagnosed with PDAC in advanced or metastatic stages (80% of cases), the The treatment of choice is chemotherapy.

However, patients with PDAC present a very heterogeneous response to chemotherapeutic agents, which makes it increasingly necessary to develop personalized therapies, directed at each patient.

3D preclinical model

Up until now, different preclinical models have been proposed to test the effect of chemotherapeutic agents in vitro.

Such an example is the model based on culturing primary cells in three dimensions (3D), obtained from a resection of a tumor from a patient with PDAC, and testing different chemotherapeutic drugs on the culture, in order to analyze which  would be more efficient for each specific case.

In short, for this model, tumor cells from a patient with PDAC are processed in the laboratory and cultured in Petri dishes, in collagen-rich medium (3D condition) with nutrients, and with the desired test. After a few days (to be established by the group) the cells are to be collected and analyzed.

Collection and analysis process

In more detail, for the collection of the cultured cells, the first step consists in removing all the culture medium from the Petri dish, leaving only the cells embedded in the collagen matrix.

Then, the appropriate amount of PBS (phospate-buffered saline) buffer is added to the Petri dish and the matrix is mechanically disrupted.

The mixture of PBS, matrix and cells is collected and placed in a 50 mL tube, which is centrifuged at 300 G for 5 minutes and at 4ºC.

Once the needed time has passed, the supernatant is discarded and the pelleted cells are resuspended in PBS, repeating the process one more time.

Finally, after the second centrifugation, the pelleted cells are suspended in complete medium and analyzed.

For these centrifugation steps it is recommended to use a high quality and efficient centrifuge, such as the Digicen 22 R. This centrifuge offers optimum performance and versatility. Its powerful refrigeration system keeps the chamber temperature below 4°C, guaranteeing the integrity of the cells during the centrifugation process.

Its rotors are ideal for centrifugation of 50 mL tubes, ensuring a precise and reliable result. It is also provided with our REI (Rotor Easy to Install) system that allows you to install and unlock the rotors safely and without the need for additional tools.

The use of primary cell cultures has demonstrated to be a highly effective tool for the precise treatment of patients with PDAC, and in this process, the centrifugation of the cultured cells as a step prior to their analysis is essential.