Multiple myeloma is an aggressive tumour able to suppress osteoblastogenesis probably mediated by bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) that can also support plasma cell growth/survival. The use of MSCs for multiple myeloma therapy is a controversial topic because of the contradictory results on the capacity of MSCs to inhibit or to promote cancer growth. Our previous studies demonstrated that MSCs could be loaded with Paclitaxel (PTX) and used to deliver the drug in situ in amount affecting tumour growth (in vitro and in vivo). Therefore, independently on the discussed action of MSCs in myeloma, MSCs could represent a 'trojan horse' to vehicle and deliver anti-tumour agents into bone marrow. This study confirms, by an in vitro 3D dynamic culture system, that PTX loaded BM-MSCs (PTXr-MSCs) are active on the proliferation of RPMI 8226, a human myeloma cell line. Our results demonstrated a dramatic suppression of myeloma cell growth by PTXr-MSCs, suggesting that drug loaded MSCs could be a tool to deliver drug into the bone marrow. Drug releasing MSCs provide a therapeutic approach to potentiate the existing treatments against a very aggressive malignancy as multiple myeloma. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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The rapid development of three-dimensional (3D) culture systems and engineered cell-based tissue models gave rise to an increasing need of new techniques, allowing the microscopic observation of cell behavior/morphology in tissue-like structures, as clearly signalled by several authors during the last decennium. With samples consisting of small aggregates of isolated cells grown in suspension, it is often difficult to produce an optimal embedded preparation that can be further successfully processed for classical histochemical investigations. In this work, we describe a new, easy to use, efficient method that enables to embed an enriched "preparation" of isolated cells/small 3D cell aggregates, without any cell stress or damage. As for after tissue-embedding procedures, the cellular blocks can be further suitably processed for efficient histochemical as well as immunohistochemical analyses, rendering more informative-and attractive-studies onto 3D cell-based culture of neo-tissues.

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3D-dynamic culture models represent an invaluable tool for a better comprehension of tumor biology and drug response, as they accurately re-create/preserve the complex multicellular organization and the dynamic interactions of the parental microenvironment, which can affect tumor fate and drug sensitivity. Hence, development of models that recapitulate tumor within its embedding microenvironment is an imperative need. This is particularly true for multiple myeloma (MM), which survives almost exclusively in the bone marrow (BM). To meet this need, we have previously exploited and validated an innovative 3D-dynamic culture technology, based on the use of the Rotary Cell Culture System (RCCS ™) bioreactor . Here, we describe, step by step, the procedures we have employed to establish two human MM ex vivo models, i.e., the culture of human BM-derived isolated cells and of MM tissues from patients.

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The assessment of the actual impact of discharged wastewater on the whole ecosystem and, in turn, on human health requires the execution of bioassays. In effect, based on the chemical characterization alone, the synergistic/antagonistic effect of mixtures of pollutants is hardly estimable. The aim of this work was to evaluate the applicability of a battery of bioassays and to suggest a smart procedure for results representation. Two real wastewater treatment plants were submitted to analytical campaigns. Several baseline toxicity assays were conducted, together with tests for the determination of endocrine activity, genetic toxicity and carcinogenicity of wastewater. A “traffic light” model was adopted for an easy-to-understand visualization of the results. Although the legal prescriptions of chemical parameters are fully complied with, bioassays show that a certain biological activity still residues in the treated effluents. Moreover, influent and effluent responses are not always appreciably different. Some tests employing human cells were revealed to be only partially adequate for environmental applications. An interesting and helpful development of the present approach would consist in the estimation of biological equivalents of toxicity, as shown for the estrogenic compound 17-β-estradiol.

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