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About This Simulation
Review the usefulness of a multi-million dollar operation to identify potential drugs for cancer chemotherapy, and provide your recommendations to the Project Leader.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the principles and limitations of chemosensitivity testing in the context of in vitro based anticancer drug screening
- Conduct, analyze and interpret in vitro chemosensitivity tests using the MTT assay
- Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of chemosensitivity tests for in vitro based screening programs
- Prepare cell cultures for chemosensitivity testing
- Determine viable cell numbers using an automated cell counter
- Conduct the MTT assay to assess cell survival following drug exposure
- Generate dose response curves and determine half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) values
- Interpret the results obtained in the chemosensitivity assay
- Understand the mechanisms of action of cyclophosphamide and epirubicin
About This Simulation
Lab Techniques
- Cell counting
- EC50 determination
- Drug treatment of cancer cells
- MTT assay
Related Standards
- No direct alignment
- No direct alignment
- No direct alignment
Learn More About This Simulation
In this simulation, you will learn which tools are needed to screen thousands of chemical compounds in order to identify promising candidates for the treatment of different types of cancer. In particular, you will gain insight into the principles and limitations of widely used in vitro assays in the context of anti-cancer drug screenings. As a pharmacology expert, you will test the robustness of those commonly used techniques and help a screening facility to assess the risk for false negative results.
Prepare cells and drugs for chemosensitivity testing
Your main task in the Cancer Pharmacology simulation is to reproduce the screening facility’s chemosensitivity in vitro protocol to investigate the cause of false negative results. The protocol in question is a widely used cell survival assay using MTT reagent and performed with conventional cancer cell lines. The Project Leader suggests to perform the test with two well-known chemotherapy drugs: epirubicin and cyclophosphamide. In this part of the simulation, you will learn how to perform common steps of chemosensitivity testing and learn about basic pharmacology tools. Most importantly, you will count living cells of a cell culture solution and calculate how much of the culture you need for your experiment. You will also prepare stock solutions of both drugs with a given concentration to create a dilution series for the treatment of the cancer cells.
Perform the MTT assay
Once the cells have been prepared and incubated with the drugs, it is time to use MTT as a cell survival indicator. You will be able to follow on a molecular level how MTT specifically reacts with mitochondrial enzymes leading to a color colorimetric change that can be measured with a spectrophotometer. In this mission, you will work with a multi-channel pipette and 96 well plates to perform the assay as used in many pharmacology labs worldwide.
Determine EC50 and interpret your results
The result of the serial drug dilution in the MTT assay will provide the basis for creating a dose-response curve and for determining the half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) of both clinically used drugs. Which recommendations will you provide the Project Leader with about the usefulness of the commonly applied in vitro assays?
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For Science Programs Providing a Learning Advantage
North Dakota State College of Science
“They did the simulation at home, then completed the in-person lab within 30 minutes, no questions asked, and passed the quiz with flying colors.”
Lecturer in Human Physiology
University of Westminster
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Modesto City Schools
"Having something that's engaging for the students gives teachers that opportunity to breathe and get excited again. Because they're seeing the kids light up, they're seeing the kids engage with content."
Wenatchee Valley College
"The question always is, ‘Can we demonstrate that the students are meeting course outcomes?’ Check! We can do that.”
San José State University
"We surveyed over 400 students. More than 90% thought Labster was easy to navigate, and that it was fun, but more importantly, most of them felt confident that they could execute the labs in person. And that confidence is a big deal."
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A Labster virtual lab is an interactive, multimedia assignment that students access right from their computers. Many Labster virtual labs prepare students for success in college by introducing foundational knowledge using multimedia visualizations that make it easier to understand complex concepts. Other Labster virtual labs prepare learners for careers in STEM labs by giving them realistic practice on lab techniques and procedures.
Labster’s virtual lab simulations are created by scientists and designed to maximize engagement and interactivity. Unlike watching a video or reading a textbook, Labster virtual labs are interactive. To make progress, students must think critically and solve a real-world problem. We believe that learning by doing makes STEM stick.
Yes, Labster is compatible with all major LMS (Learning Management Systems) including Blackboard, Canvas, D2L, Moodle, and many others. Students can access Labster like any other assignment. If your institution does not choose an LMS integration, students will log into Labster’s Course Manager once they have an account created. Your institution will decide which is the best access method.
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Labster supports a wide range of STEM courses at the high school, college, and university level across fields in biology, chemistry, physics, and health sciences. You can identify topics for your courses by searching our Content Catalog.