Research Article

Correlation between Spheroid Formation Ability and Reported Invasiveness of HEK-293, HT-29, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa Cancer Cell Lines in Commercial Well Plates

Volume: 37 Number: 2 June 25, 2025
TR EN

Correlation between Spheroid Formation Ability and Reported Invasiveness of HEK-293, HT-29, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa Cancer Cell Lines in Commercial Well Plates

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures, such as spheroids, are essential for replicating in vivo tumor environments, offering a more accurate model for cancer research and drug testing. Spheroids form through the self-aggregation of cells under specific conditions, enabling the study of cellular behavior, including invasiveness. In this study, we investigated the correlation between spheroid formation ability and the reported invasiveness of four widely used human cancer cell lines — Human Embryonic Kidney 293 (HEK-293), Human Colorectal Adenocarcinoma (HT-29), Human Breast Cancer (MDA-MB-231), and Human Cervical Cancer (HeLa) — using a commercial round bottom 96-well microplate and AggreWell™ microwells with varying cell seeding concentrations. Cells were cultured in highly viscous media and seeded at varying densities (1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 cells per well) to assess the effect of cell number on spheroid size over time. Microscopic analysis revealed distinct differences among the cell lines; HEK-293 and HT-29 cells formed compact, well-defined spheroids, with larger spheroids observed at higher seeding densities. In contrast, the more aggressive and invasive MDA-MB-231 and HeLa cells failed to form spheroids under these conditions. These findings demonstrate the intricate relationship between cancer cell aggressiveness, seeding density, and spheroid formation ability, which are critical factors in optimizing 3D culture-based drug development and cancer research

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

Thanks

Ismail Eş acknowledges the financial support of Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Brazil (Grant# 2015/14468-0 and 2018/23895-7)

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Plant Tissue and Cell Culture, Cancer Biology, Biofabrication, Tissue Engineering

Journal Section

Research Article

Early Pub Date

June 16, 2025

Publication Date

June 25, 2025

Submission Date

February 2, 2025

Acceptance Date

May 5, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 37 Number: 2

APA
Eş, I. (2025). Correlation between Spheroid Formation Ability and Reported Invasiveness of HEK-293, HT-29, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa Cancer Cell Lines in Commercial Well Plates. International Journal of Advances in Engineering and Pure Sciences, 37(2), 188-195. https://doi.org/10.7240/jeps.1631660
AMA
1.Eş I. Correlation between Spheroid Formation Ability and Reported Invasiveness of HEK-293, HT-29, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa Cancer Cell Lines in Commercial Well Plates. JEPS. 2025;37(2):188-195. doi:10.7240/jeps.1631660
Chicago
Eş, Ismail. 2025. “Correlation Between Spheroid Formation Ability and Reported Invasiveness of HEK-293, HT-29, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa Cancer Cell Lines in Commercial Well Plates”. International Journal of Advances in Engineering and Pure Sciences 37 (2): 188-95. https://doi.org/10.7240/jeps.1631660.
EndNote
Eş I (June 1, 2025) Correlation between Spheroid Formation Ability and Reported Invasiveness of HEK-293, HT-29, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa Cancer Cell Lines in Commercial Well Plates. International Journal of Advances in Engineering and Pure Sciences 37 2 188–195.
IEEE
[1]I. Eş, “Correlation between Spheroid Formation Ability and Reported Invasiveness of HEK-293, HT-29, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa Cancer Cell Lines in Commercial Well Plates”, JEPS, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 188–195, June 2025, doi: 10.7240/jeps.1631660.
ISNAD
Eş, Ismail. “Correlation Between Spheroid Formation Ability and Reported Invasiveness of HEK-293, HT-29, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa Cancer Cell Lines in Commercial Well Plates”. International Journal of Advances in Engineering and Pure Sciences 37/2 (June 1, 2025): 188-195. https://doi.org/10.7240/jeps.1631660.
JAMA
1.Eş I. Correlation between Spheroid Formation Ability and Reported Invasiveness of HEK-293, HT-29, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa Cancer Cell Lines in Commercial Well Plates. JEPS. 2025;37:188–195.
MLA
Eş, Ismail. “Correlation Between Spheroid Formation Ability and Reported Invasiveness of HEK-293, HT-29, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa Cancer Cell Lines in Commercial Well Plates”. International Journal of Advances in Engineering and Pure Sciences, vol. 37, no. 2, June 2025, pp. 188-95, doi:10.7240/jeps.1631660.
Vancouver
1.Ismail Eş. Correlation between Spheroid Formation Ability and Reported Invasiveness of HEK-293, HT-29, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa Cancer Cell Lines in Commercial Well Plates. JEPS. 2025 Jun. 1;37(2):188-95. doi:10.7240/jeps.1631660