Research Article

Investigation of the effect of Abemaciclib on breast cancer spheroids in a three-dimensional (3D) environment

Number: 35 June 12, 2026

Investigation of the effect of Abemaciclib on breast cancer spheroids in a three-dimensional (3D) environment

Abstract

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) representing the most aggressive subtype due to its lack of targetable receptors and poor prognosis. Abemaciclib, a selective cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor, has emerged as a promising therapeutic agent by blocking cell-cycle progression and limiting tumor proliferation. To better mimic tumor architecture, this study employed spheroids of the TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231 generated with the three-dimensional (3D) Petri Dish® system. The cytotoxic effects of Abemaciclib were evaluated in comparison with Doxorubicin under both two-dimensional (2D) monolayer and three dimensional (3D) spheroid culture conditions using an MTS-based cell viability assay. Complementary analyses included immunofluorescence staining of filamentous actin (F-actin) to assess cytoskeletal alterations, and flow cytometry to determine cell-cycle distribution. Within the tested concentration ranges, spheroids showed reduced sensitivity to Abemaciclib compared with monolayers, indicating that 3D culture conditions may influence drug penetration and adaptive resistance. Abemaciclib suppressed proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner by altering cell-cycle distribution, with G0/G1 accumulation at lower concentrations and G2/M accumulation at higher concentrations, accompanied by a reduced S-phase fraction.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This research was financially supported by The Hacettepe University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit provided funding under the Project number FHD-2023-20610 (to AKS). Additional support was received from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) through the Department of Science Fellowships and Grant Programmes (BİDEB) 2210-A National MSc/MA Scholarship Program (to CS) and TÜBİTAK 2209-A University Student Research Project Support Program.

Project Number

FHD-2023-20610

Ethical Statement

This research did not involve human participants, human data, or live vertebrate animals. All experiments were conducted exclusively with the established human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 (ATCC, HTB-26) under standard laboratory conditions. In accordance with the journal’s author instructions, studies that do not include live vertebrate animals or human subjects do not require ethics committee approval; therefore, ARRIVE guidelines and Directive 2010/63/EU (or IACUC) are not applicable to this work. All procedures complied with institutional biosafety practices.

Thanks

This research was financially supported by The Hacettepe University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit provided funding under the Project number FHD-2023-20610 (to AKS). Additional support was received from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) through the Department of Science Fellowships and Grant Programmes (BİDEB) 2210-A National MSc/MA Scholarship Program (to CS). The authors also thank to Hande Canpınar for her flow cytometry analysis and interpretation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Cell Metabolism, Medical Biotechnology (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 12, 2026

Submission Date

October 31, 2025

Acceptance Date

April 16, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 35

APA
Sürücüoğlu, C., Öztürk, S., & Süloğlu, A. K. (2026). Investigation of the effect of Abemaciclib on breast cancer spheroids in a three-dimensional (3D) environment. Biotech Studies, 35, 1969799-1969799. https://doi.org/10.38042/biotechstudies.1969799
AMA
1.Sürücüoğlu C, Öztürk S, Süloğlu AK. Investigation of the effect of Abemaciclib on breast cancer spheroids in a three-dimensional (3D) environment. Biotech Studies. 2026;(35):1969799-1969799. doi:10.38042/biotechstudies.1969799
Chicago
Sürücüoğlu, Can, Selen Öztürk, and Aysun Kılıç Süloğlu. 2026. “Investigation of the Effect of Abemaciclib on Breast Cancer Spheroids in a Three-Dimensional (3D) Environment”. Biotech Studies, nos. 35: 1969799-99. https://doi.org/10.38042/biotechstudies.1969799.
EndNote
Sürücüoğlu C, Öztürk S, Süloğlu AK (June 1, 2026) Investigation of the effect of Abemaciclib on breast cancer spheroids in a three-dimensional (3D) environment. Biotech Studies 35 1969799–1969799.
IEEE
[1]C. Sürücüoğlu, S. Öztürk, and A. K. Süloğlu, “Investigation of the effect of Abemaciclib on breast cancer spheroids in a three-dimensional (3D) environment”, Biotech Studies, no. 35, pp. 1969799–1969799, June 2026, doi: 10.38042/biotechstudies.1969799.
ISNAD
Sürücüoğlu, Can - Öztürk, Selen - Süloğlu, Aysun Kılıç. “Investigation of the Effect of Abemaciclib on Breast Cancer Spheroids in a Three-Dimensional (3D) Environment”. Biotech Studies. 35 (June 1, 2026): 1969799-1969799. https://doi.org/10.38042/biotechstudies.1969799.
JAMA
1.Sürücüoğlu C, Öztürk S, Süloğlu AK. Investigation of the effect of Abemaciclib on breast cancer spheroids in a three-dimensional (3D) environment. Biotech Studies. 2026;:1969799–1969799.
MLA
Sürücüoğlu, Can, et al. “Investigation of the Effect of Abemaciclib on Breast Cancer Spheroids in a Three-Dimensional (3D) Environment”. Biotech Studies, no. 35, June 2026, pp. 1969799-, doi:10.38042/biotechstudies.1969799.
Vancouver
1.Can Sürücüoğlu, Selen Öztürk, Aysun Kılıç Süloğlu. Investigation of the effect of Abemaciclib on breast cancer spheroids in a three-dimensional (3D) environment. Biotech Studies. 2026 Jun. 1;(35):1969799-. doi:10.38042/biotechstudies.1969799


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