Abstract 197: A systemic model derivation platform for generating 3D neuroendocrine tumor cell spheroids to accelerate cancer research
Authors: Attari Adel , Liistro Madison , Van Hare Barbara , Chan Jennifer , Coleman Emma , Heffernan Tim , Amador Bianca , Meyerson Matthew , Boehm Jesse , Sellers William , Tseng Yuen-Yi (Moony) 
Published: June 2022

The Broad Cancer Cell Line Factory (CCLF) aims to increase the number and representation of in vitro/ex vivo cell models for common and rare cancer types. Neuroendocrine tumor (NET) cell model derivation is one of the CCLFs focus because it lacks well-characterized, publicly available models.Two major barriers existed in deriving NET cell models, including how to collect sufficient patient tumor tissue samples for the model derivation pilot and how to systematically iterate model derivation strategies since there is no prior knowledge for NET cell model generation success. Thus, we partnered with the MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and the Rare Cancer Research Foundation to collect patient tissue samples. All patient’s NET tissues were sequenced with a targeted Pan-Cancer panel to ensure high tumor content. To reduce fibroblast outgrowth, we combined an empirical rich media matrix (HYBRID technology) with a 3D spheroid culture system to initiate one sample in 16-64 conditions. The growing cultures at passage 3-5 were genomically credentialed to ensure the driver events matched with the original patient tissue. So far, we have received more than 70 NET samples. While several derived models are still under culture, we successfully generated 5 genomically verified NET tumor models, including small intestinal, pancreas, and liver subtypes. To phenotypically characterize these NET models, neuroendocrine biomarkers such as chromogranin A, synaptophysin, SSTR2, and VMAT 1/2 were also evaluated using qRT-PCR and ELISA. We observed that these NET spheroid models display long doubling times (2-4 weeks) at later passages which limits their utility for large scale perturbation experiments and model sharing capability with the research community. While we are currently working on several strategies to improve the propagation ability in these models, 1 (out of 5) model has reached passage 15 with a 3 day doubling time. Genomic studies, such as RNAseq, will be performed to address the model transcriptome changes after overcoming growth plateaus. Here we showed that it is feasible to derive NET models from patient biospecimens using our HYBRID strategy. As we expand our NET cohort, we will further refine disease-specific model generation protocols for different NET types. Our goal is to share our model generation experience and make these tumor cell models publicly available to the research community in order to accelerate cancer research.

Citation Format: Adel Attari, Madison Liistro, Barbara Van Hare, Jennifer Chan, Emma Coleman, Tim Heffernan, Bianca Amador, Matthew Meyerson, Jesse Boehm, William Sellers, Yuen-Yi (Moony) Tseng. A systemic model derivation platform for generating 3D neuroendocrine tumor cell spheroids to accelerate cancer research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 197.