Evidence mapPaperPMID 33291351Full record

ReviewPharmaceutics2020

Three-Dimensional Spheroids as In Vitro Preclinical Models for Cancer Research.

Bárbara Pinto, Ana C Henriques, Patrícia M A Silva, Hassan Bousbaa

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Pharmaceutics, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 236 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
236citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

236 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Oncogenic Role of SRPK2 in Different Types of Cancer: A Systematic Review.Journal of cellular and molecular medicine · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Magnetic-Based Human Tissue 3D Cell Culture: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022
    Pooled it
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  13. Photodynamic treatment of glioblastoma plus endothelial cell spheroid models: increased proliferative and migratory aggressiveness of surviving tumor cells due to iNOS/NO upregulation.Photochemical & photobiological sciences : Official journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology · 2026
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176 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Bárbara PintoCooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário (CESPU), Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada em Ciências e Tecnologias da Saúde (IINFACTS), Instituto Universitário de Ciências da Saúde (IUCS), 4585-116 Gandra PRD, Portugal.
Ana C HenriquesCooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário (CESPU), Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada em Ciências e Tecnologias da Saúde (IINFACTS), Instituto Universitário de Ciências da Saúde (IUCS), 4585-116 Gandra PRD, Portugal.
Patrícia M A SilvaCooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário (CESPU), Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada em Ciências e Tecnologias da Saúde (IINFACTS), Instituto Universitário de Ciências da Saúde (IUCS), 4585-116 Gandra PRD, Portugal.
Hassan BousbaaCooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário (CESPU), Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada em Ciências e Tecnologias da Saúde (IINFACTS), Instituto Universitário de Ciências da Saúde (IUCS), 4585-116 Gandra PRD, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-4006-5779

Funding

Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário BD/CBAS/CESPU/01/2020Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário IMPLDEBRIS-PL-3RL-IINFACTS-2019Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia SFRH/BD/116167/2016
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Most cancer biologists still rely on conventional two-dimensional (2D) monolayer culture techniques to test in vitro anti-tumor drugs prior to in vivo testing. However, the vast majority of promising preclinical drugs have no or weak efficacy in real patients with tumors, thereby delaying the discovery of successful therapeutics. This is because 2D culture lacks cell-cell contacts and natural tumor microenvironment, important in tumor signaling and drug response, thereby resulting in a reduced malignant phenotype compared to the real tumor. In this sense, three-dimensional (3D) cultures of cancer cells that better recapitulate in vivo cell environments emerged as scientifically accurate and low cost cancer models for preclinical screening and testing of new drug candidates before moving to expensive and time-consuming animal models. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of 3D tumor systems and highlight the strategies for spheroid construction and evaluation tools of targeted therapies, focusing on their applicability in cancer research. Examples of the applicability of 3D culture for the evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of nanomedicines are discussed.

Indexed as

3D culturescancer therapydrug resistanceefficacy analysistumor microenvironmenttumor spheroids

Identifiers

PMID33291351
PMCPMC7762220

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.