Comparative evaluation of the therapeutic strategies using a minimal model of luminal-A breast cancer.

Cellular behavior is heavily influenced by cellular interactions, which are often lost in conventional cell culture methods. As a result, in vitro cellular behavior may not accurately reflect in vivo conditions. Three-dimensional (3D) culture, on the other hand, is better suited for studying cellular behavior as it allows for more comprehensive cell communication. In this study, we utilized 3D culture of the MCF-7 cell line to create a minimal model of luminal-A breast cancer and evaluated its histopathological and morphological features using various methods. To determine the optimal therapeutic strategies for eliminating cancer cells, we assessed the effectiveness of diverse therapeutic approaches, including targeting distinct phases of the cell cycle, endocrine therapy, and gene therapy in both 2D and 3D culture systems. Our findings indicate that cells derived from mammospheres respond differently to their parent cells in monolayer culture depending on the therapeutic strategy used. This variability in drug response may be due to the altered microenvironment created by heterogeneous cellular makeup and emerging cellular interactions in the 3D culture. Therefore, it is important to administer a therapeutic approach that can eradicate cells regardless of the microenvironment. • A minimal model of luminal A breast cancer was recapitulated without the use of extracellular components in a 3D culture setting. • The mechanism of action of drugs determines how cells respond to treatment in 3D culture. • The iC9 suicide gene therapy regardless of 2D or 3D culture conditions acts effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]