Uploaded January 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Entered into our 2019 ZEISS Photography Competition by PhD student Agavi Stavropoulou-Tatla.
The image shows a 3D multicellular spheroid model consisting of glioblastoma cells moving along sprouting endothelial (blood vessel forming) cells. Both glioblastoma and endothelial cells have been genetically modified to express green and red fluorescent protein respectively.
Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and invasive form of brain cancer, with a median survival of only about 15 months. This type of tumour is able to grow so quickly because it has the power to produce new blood vessels when needed. In fact, the presence of glioblastoma cells promotes the sprouting of the endothelial cells. Moreover, this tumour is highly infiltrative, and this is partially because glioblastoma cells use blood vessels as ‘highways’ for their migration to different parts of the brain.
This biomimetic model has been developed to provide insight into the mechanisms that drive glioblastoma neovascularisation and invasion along blood vessels, and to serve as a personalised tool for the initial screening of antiangiogenic drug efficacy.
Entered into our 2019 ZEISS Photography Competition by PhD student Agavi Stavropoulou-Tatla.
The image shows a 3D multicellular spheroid model consisting of glioblastoma cells moving along sprouting endothelial (blood vessel forming) cells. Both glioblastoma and endothelial cells have been genetically modified to express green and red fluorescent protein respectively.
Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and invasive form of brain cancer, with a median survival of only about 15 months. This type of tumour is able to grow so quickly because it has the power to produce new blood vessels when needed. In fact, the presence of glioblastoma cells promotes the sprouting of the endothelial cells. Moreover, this tumour is highly infiltrative, and this is partially because glioblastoma cells use blood vessels as ‘highways’ for their migration to different parts of the brain.
This biomimetic model has been developed to provide insight into the mechanisms that drive glioblastoma neovascularisation and invasion along blood vessels, and to serve as a personalised tool for the initial screening of antiangiogenic drug efficacy.
