Open AccessIn vitro sensitivity assays in cancer: A review, analysis, and prognosis
Author(s) -
Hoffman Robert M.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of clinical laboratory analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1098-2825
pISSN - 0887-8013
DOI - 10.1002/jcla.1860050211
Subject(s) - clonogenic assay , in vitro , cytotoxic t cell , cancer , cancer research , cancer cell , drug , biology , medicine , computational biology , pharmacology , biochemistry
Tumors are complex systems consisting of heterogeneous cancer cells as well as normal cells with each exhibiting unique drug sensitivity spectra. There have been many attempts to design in vitro systems to determine drug response of tumors. The most widely used system is the clonogenic assay, which has demonstrated some clinical predictivity. However, the clonogenic assay has been shown to have negative aspects, including low frequency of evaluation, clump artifacts, lack of cytotoxic end‐points and disruption of normal cell‐cell interactions existing in a true tissue environment. Newer models are described utilizing cytotoxic as well as cell‐proliferation end‐points, and maintenance of three‐dimensional tissue architecture in vitro. It is concluded that less artifactual, more realistic models can be used to select more tumor‐specific drugs which themselves in turn will make in vitro chemosensitivity assays more useful for cancer patients.