3D Cell Culture Stimulates the Secretion of In Vivo-Like Extracellular Vesicles

The study demonstrated that 3D cell culture models more accurately mimicked the in vivo extracellular matrix environment compared to traditional 2D models, particularly in the context of extracellular vesicle (EV) secretion and small RNA profiles. The 3D culture-derived EVs showed a small RNA profile with 96% similarity to in vivo circulating EVs from cervical cancer patient plasma, suggesting a specific sorting process not observed in 2D cultures. This finding indicated that 3D cultures could serve as a more precise model for studying tumor biomarkers, drug screening, and tumor progression. The research highlighted the potential of using EV molecular alterations as non-invasive indicators of 3D tissue behaviors, although DNA sequencing showed that genomic information in EVs was unaffected by culture conditions.