Multicellular Tumor Spheroids in Nanomedicine Research: A Perspective

Abstract

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Multicellular tumor spheroids are largely exploited in cancer research since they are more predictive than bi-dimensional cell cultures. Nanomedicine would benefit from the integration of this three-dimensional in vitro model in screening protocols. In this brief work, we discuss some of the issues that cancer nanomedicine will need to consider in the switch from bi-dimensional to three-dimensional multicellular tumor spheroid models.

Keywords

• 3D in vitro models
• cell culture monolayers
• nanoparticles
• drug delivery
• drug targeting
• high-throughput screening