ingest cdrApp 2019-04-24T03:15:51.306Z b9197aaf-2953-4044-b52b-3c964de5d9e7 modifyDatastreamByValue MD_DESCRIPTIVE cdrApp 2019-05-01T19:07:16.189Z modifyDatastreamByValue RELS-EXT cdrApp 2019-05-13T16:23:47.483Z Leonardo Albertini Creator Department of Chemistry Bachelor of Arts Chemistry 2019 With Honors 2019-04 Thesis advisor Matthew Lockett Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture platforms better recreate the complex microenvironment and cell-cell signaling gradients characteristic of in vivo tumors than monolayer cultures on plasticware. While in vitro co-culture models of stromal cells and ER(+) carcinoma cells have been developed to study tumor responses, there is a lack of detailed characterization of the expression and activity of aromatase enzyme in mammary fibroblasts in 3D environments. Aromatase converts androgens to estrogen. In this study, I quantify aromatase activity in stromal reductive mammary fibroblasts (RMFs) and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) transactivation in a breast carcinoma cell line in 2D, 3D, and co-culture platforms. When treated with the aromatase inducers genistein and quercetin, we observed increased E2 synthesis in all culture formats containing RMFs. The 2D monocultures had much higher aromatase activity than 3D monocultures; the greatest increase in activity occurred in the co-cultures. Our results highlight the use of 3D breast cancer models as an improvement over traditional 2D cultures and a useful and efficient alternative to in vivo models. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Degree granting institution breast cancer carcinoma 3D cultures endocrine disruptors aromatase hormone signaling 3D paper platforms Honors Thesis text eng Leonardo Albertini Creator Department of Chemistry Bachelor of Arts Chemistry 2019 With Honors 2019-04 Thesis advisor Matthew Lockett Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture platforms better recreate the complex microenvironment and cell-cell signaling gradients characteristic of in vivo tumors than monolayer cultures on plasticware. While in vitro co-culture models of stromal cells and ER(+) carcinoma cells have been developed to study tumor responses, there is a lack of detailed characterization of the expression and activity of aromatase enzyme in mammary fibroblasts in 3D environments. Aromatase converts androgens to estrogen. In this study, I quantify aromatase activity in stromal reductive mammary fibroblasts (RMFs) and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) transactivation in a breast carcinoma cell line in 2D, 3D, and co-culture platforms. When treated with the aromatase inducers genistein and quercetin, we observed increased E2 synthesis in all culture formats containing RMFs. The 2D monocultures had much higher aromatase activity than 3D monocultures; the greatest increase in activity occurred in the co-cultures. Our results highlight the use of 3D breast cancer models as an improvement over traditional 2D cultures and a useful and efficient alternative to in vivo models. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Degree granting institution breast cancer; carcinoma; 3D cultures; endocrine disruptors; aromatase; hormone signaling; 3D paper platforms Honors Thesis text eng Aggregate Work uuid:b3ff117e-e59e-4277-bf86-140821862b4e yes 2020-05-13T00:00:00 unc:org:318300:faculty unc:org:318300:staff