Comparative assessment of primary cancer cell culture techniques and cellular composition analysis in non-small cell lung cancer

Preclinical models are required to study individual therapy responses to improve all cancer treatments, particularly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patient-derived explants (PDEs) culture model is of great importance in terms of the possibility of tumor cell culture with the microenvironment, and the development of molecular mechanisms and personalized treatment methods. In our study, primary tumor culture with microenvironment was performed using different methods from tumor tissues obtained from 51 patients with NSCLC. To identify the most efficient method, mechanical, enzymatic, and tumor fluid techniques were applied. While the malignant cell rate was > 95% in 3 of these cases, the cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) microenvironment was high in 46 (80–94%) and low in 2 (1–79%). Subtyping of cells obtained from culture was performed using the light microscope and, if necessary, additional immunohistochemical markers. Consequently, using different techniques, here we successfully performed primary cell culture from patients with NSCLC with microenvironment. Depending on the cell type and culture conditions, proliferation rate was shown to be altered.