3-D model of breast cancer in the lab

3-D model of breast cancer in the lab
According to BBC News, U.K. researchers have built a 3-D version of breast cancer in a test tube. Their model contains cells from normal and cancerous breast tissue. The researchers used a collagen gel to form 3-D structures to create structures similar to the ones find in a woman breast. So far, they focused on a common pre-cancerous condition known as 'ductal carcinoma in situ' (DCIS). With this model, they hope to reduce experiments done on animals such as mice. In fact, these experiments are not always useful because similarities can be poor between mice and humans. Now it remains to be seen if this model will be endorsed by the scientific community.
Before going further, here is a definition of what is DCIS: "Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a condition that can occur in several different forms. In all of these, there is a change in the cells lining the milk ducts of the breast. Under a microscope, a normal duct shows a lining of a single layer of cells, but in DCIS, many more cells can be seen. [...] These extra cells in the duct show some of the abnormalities of cancer cells, but they have not spread outside the duct (in situ means 'in place'). For this reason, DCIS is not considered to be 'true' or invasive cancer." Below is a diagram of a breast cross section showing ducts without and with DCIS (Credit for image and caption: The Cancer Council Victoria, Australia)
This project has been led by Louise Jones, professor of breast pathology at the Institute of Cancer at Queen Mary, University of London. Here are some of our explanations about this project.
[Jones said] that they needed to develop a test tube model that was more complex than a layer of cells in a Petri dish. Instead the team grew three types of cells from normal and cancerous breast tissue. And using a collagen gel to form three-dimensional structures they have been able to create structures which closely resemble the ways the cells would be organised in the breast.
But how this 3-D model will help cancer research?
Professor Jones said working out why the cells behave like this could help doctors decide which patients with early cancer to treat and pave the way for developing new treatments. The model could also replace the need for some experiments which are done in animals such as mice, which can be implanted with human tumours.
This is where my interest was growing. Is this research done for the interest of women or mice? In fact, this research is being funded by the Dr Hadwen Trust for an amount of £105,000. And "the Dr Hadwen Trust is the UK’s leading medical research charity that funds and promotes exclusively non-animal research techniques to replace animal experiments." So let's look at the press release they issued on May 10, 2007, "Breast cancer in a test tube could replace animal tests."
Breast cancer research is often conducted in mice, with up to 400 mice used in a series of tests. Each animal is likely to endure up to eight separate tumour implants followed by painful drug injections into the abdomen, and distressing, serial 'harvesting' of subsequent tumours. As well as causing suffering, these mouse experiments are potentially misleading, meaning a human–based research approach is vital to improve accuracy.
As says Nicky Gordon, Science Officer for the Dr Hadwen Trust: "As a medical research charity we aim to alleviate human suffering, but we believe that medical excellence can and should be achieved without causing animals suffering too. With breast cancer, there is an urgent need to move away from animal research models because their similarity to human cancer can be so poor.
I have no idea if this new 3-D model for breast cancer can be useful, but if its main purpose is to save mice -- and not women -- I think it's basically flawed. What do you think?
Sources: BBC News, May 9, 2007; and various websites
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