Differential effects of bone marrow and dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned media on oral cancer cells: A comparative study in 2D and 3D culture models
Kathryn Tan, Wei Y. B. Lim, Li-Gi Ong, Chia M. Chong, Prashanthi Chippagiri, Spoorthi R. BanavarAbstract
Background:
Mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC)-Oral Cancer interactions remain poorly characterised, and almost all existing work uses two-dimensional monolayer culture, which reproduces neither tumour architecture nor diffusion gradients.
Aim:
To compare bone marrow (BMMSC-CM) and dental pulp (DPSC-CM) stem cell-conditioned media on the metabolic activity of OECM-1 oral squamous carcinoma cells across 2D monolayer, 3D spheroid, and 3D scaffold culture.
Methods:
OECM-1 cells in each format were treated with 10% or 50% BMMSC-CM or DPSC-CM, or medium alone in three independent biological replicates. Metabolic activity was measured on days 3, 5, and 7 by Alamar Blue (monolayer, scaffold) and ATPlite 3D (spheroids). One-way ANOVA with Tukey’s HSD was applied at each time point, plus 2-way ANOVA for the concentration × day interaction.
Results:
In monolayer, DPSC-CM reduced metabolic activity significantly only at Day 7 (
Conclusions:
Effects were model-dependent and, for DPSC-CM, reversed between monolayer and spheroid culture; two 3D models of the same cell line did not agree. Monolayer findings should not be extrapolated without mechanistic characterisation.