Three-dimensional cell culturing by magnetic levitation for evaluating efficacy/toxicity of photodynamic therapy

We used three dimensional cell cultures (3D) based on the magnetic levitation method (MLM) to evaluate cytotoxicity of photodynamic therapy (PDT). First, we decorated Hep G2 and MDA-MB-321 cells with NanoShuttle by introducing it in the media and incubated overnight. Next day, we transferred the cells to a 6-well plate and placed a magnetic driver on the top of the plate to start levitation. We monitored the formation of the 3D cell culture by optical microscopy and after four days, we added the photosensitizer Photogem (PG) in the culture media in concentrations of 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25μg/ml. We incubated them for 24 hours, after that we washed the cultures with PBS and added fresh media. Samples were then illuminated for 600s using a 630nm LED-based device, generating light intensities of 30 mW/cm2 in a total light fluence of 18 J/cm2. Following the illumination, we added fresh media, and 30 hours later, the 3D structures were broken using a pipettor and the cells seeded in 96 well plates, 105 cells per well, with a magnetic drive placed on the bottom of the plate to create cell culture dots. After 24 hours, we used a MTT assay to evaluate PDT cytotoxicity. The PDT effect, evaluated by the half maximal effective concentration (EC50), in MDA-MB-231 cells (EC50 =3.14 μg/ml) is more aggressive compared to the effect of PDT in Hep G2 cells (EC50 = 7.48 μg/ml). It suggests that the cell culture structure and its interaction facilitated the PG uptake and consequently elevated the Photodynamic effect for MDA-MB-231.