In-situ monitoring of glucose metabolism in cancer cell microenvironments based on hollow fiber structure

Abstract

Cancer cells alter their metabolism to promote rapid proliferation, resulting in significant amounts of glucose to be used for aerobic glycolysis in the tumor microenvironment. Due to the spatial mismatch between electrodes and cells, existing methods for evaluating cancer cell metabolism lack kinetic and microenvironmental information. In this paper, we present a hollow fiber structure loaded with sensing elements as a long-term cellular metabolism monitoring platform. The unique gradient porous structure allowed the glucose sensor to be close to cultured cells but not directly in contact to prevent adverse effects. The liquid exchange channels in the porous fiber structure ensured continuous and real-time monitoring of glucose concentration changes in the culture media. Experimental results showed high electrochemical sensitivity and stability for continuously monitoring the glucose consumption rate. Furthermore, a continuous three-day long test quantified the change in glucose consumption in response to the anticancer drug Osimertinib. In addition to traditional endpoint cell counting and analysis, this hollow fiber sensing structure provided a real-time monitoring tool for cell metabolism. Such continuous monitoring of the cell metabolism microenvironment improves in-vitro toxicology models for personalized medicine and cancer therapy.

Keywords: Cancer cell; Glucose sensor; Hollow fiber; Metabolism microenvironment.