Influence of growth, measuring conditions, and cell types on oxygen tensions in multicell tumor spheroids determined by microelectrodes

Changes in O2 Consumption of Multicellular Spheroids During Development of Necrosis

Multicellular spheroids are spherical aggregates of cells that are supplied by diffusion of oxygen and substrates from the surrounding growth medium (Sutherland and Durand, 1976). Metabolic waste products are removed from the cells in these aggregates by diffusion into the growth medium. Cells within multicellular spheroids may be exposed to environmental conditions similar to those in tissue located between nutritive microvessels. Thus, tumor spheroids make it possible to study the impact of the tumor-specific micromilieu on cellular metabolism, cell cycle state, cellular viability or response to treatment. Factors in the microenvironment of tumor cells which may be relevant in this regard…