Table 1. Characteristics of cells and spheroids used in this study.
| Cell Line | Origin | Spheroid | Rate | EF5 Binding | TF Spheroids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SQ20B | H&N Carcinoma | Yes 1 , 3 | Fast | Yes 4 | Yes 5 |
| U87 | GBM | Yes | Fast | No | Yes |
| Panc1 | Pancreatic Adeno | Yes 2 | Slow | Yes | ND |
| 1833 | Breast Carcinoma | No | NA | No | ND |
| MRC5 | Normal Fibroblast | Yes 3 | Fast | No | NA |
Notes:
1. Larger with addition of MRC5 fibroblast cells;
2. Spheroid formation goes through observable changes from disc to sphere that take about 5 days;
3. Spheroids are small and have limited growth potential;
4. EF5 binding was only seen in MC and TF spheroids—hypoxia in spheroids was only observed centrally.
5. Although SQ20B and U87 TFs both underwent rapid transformation to spherical shape, central hypoxia and necrosis in the former limited any growth, so their size reached a maximum at about 6 days and then declined with time. U87 TF spheroids continued to grow and could reach 1.5 to 2 mm in diameter. NA means non-applicable, ND means not done.