Urologic Survey (Basic Science)

Re: Modeling Tissue Morphogenesis and Cancer in 3D

10.4274/jus.2015.02.010

  • Fehmi Narter

J Urol Surg 2015;2(2):109-109

EDITORIAL COMMENT

What does determine the shapes of the organs? Why the shape of the heart is like a drop? Or how kidneys are shaped like beans? Tissues and organs are three dimensional (3D). However, their formation, function and pathology have often depended on two-dimensional (2D) cell culture studies. In context of organogenesis, morphogenesis determines the shape of organs and these processes are named as mophogenesis. Morphogenesis includes cell-cell adhesion, extracellular matrix and cell contractility. For example, retinoic acid may also act as morphogenesis. Currently, there are many studies about morphogenesis in the literature. In one of them, the authors have reported that studies with 3D model systems have repeatedly identified complex interacting roles of matrix stiffness and composition, integrins, growth factor receptors and signaling in development and cancer. Differentiation, motility, cell shape, gene expression, growth, and morphogenesis researches are more effective in 3D cell cultures than in 2D cell cultures. For most studies, the tissues must be thin enough to permit adequate oxygenation and nutrition of the tissue interior, e.g. less than 0.3 mm thick. Especially, tumor proliferation, progression, invasion and metastasis abilities should be studied in 3D cell culture. These insights suggest that plasticity, regulation and suppression of these processes can provide strategies and therapeutic targets for future cancer therapy. In the near future, morphogenesis studies will be more determinant for tissue engineering, replacement therapies and cancer etiopathogenesis research.