Preliminary screening of polycaprolactone-polystyrene electrospun scaffolds for the formation of tumoroids

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype is the most aggressive and conventional chemotherapy is the standard treatment since lacks validated targeted therapies. Thus, there is an unmet need for improved in vitro research tools, including scaffolds for the formation of tumoroids. In this preliminary study, the main aim was to assess the tumoroid-forming potential of polycaprolactone (PCL)/polystyrene (PS) scaffolds. Six different polymer solutions, varying PCL/PS ratios, were formulated and PCL/PS scaffolds were manufactured using the electrospinning technique. PCL/PS structures were characterized by SEM imaging. Subsequently, a sterilization assay was performed to evaluate potential alterations derived from this process. Afterwards, TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells were cultured on PCL/PS structures for 10 days. The findings revealed that cells cultured on PCL 100/PS 0, PCL 80/PS 20, and PCL 60/PS 40 matrices exhibited the formation of tumoroids. In conclusion, PCL/PS scaffolds offer a valuable in vitro tool for tumoroid formation.