Figure 1.

Representative images of NSCLC A549 cells showing intercellular and intracellular architecture in a normal culture dish (2D, left panel) and in poly-HEMA-coated dishes (3D, right panel). Images were taken 72 hours following culturing.

Notes: (A) Phase-contrast micrograph showing the morphology of human NSCLC A549 cells grown in 2D (left) and 3D (right) cultures. Original magnification: ×1,000. Scale bar: 200 µm. (B) Representative fluorescence microscopic images of NSCLC A549 cells grown in 2D (left) and 3D (right) cultures. Cells were stained with an antibody targeting α-SMA (green) and rhodamine-conjugated phalloidin (F-actin, red), while nuclei were counterstained blue with DAPI. Cells were imaged using confocal fluorescence microscopy. The image on the left is a merged image of DAPI, α-SMA, and phalloidin staining. Photographs are representative of n = 3 experiments. Original magnification: ×1,500. Scale bar: 50 µm. (C) Representative SEM images of NSCLC A549 cells grown in 2D (left) and 3D (right) cultures. Photographs are representative of n = 3 experiments.

Abbreviations: NSCLC, non-small-cell lung cancer; SEM, scanning electron microscopy; α-SMA, α-smooth muscle actin; 2D, two dimension; 3D, three dimension; poly-HEMA, poly-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate.