Maira Moreno Valtierra

Ms. Maira Moreno Valtierra


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

8Years (2019-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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10 September 2019 in Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
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RRRogelio Rodríguez Rodríguez
Rogelio Rodríguez Rodríguez
MMMaría Cristina Velasquillo Martínez
María Cristina Velasquillo Martínez
Peter KnauthPeter Knauth
Peter Knauth
ZLZaira López
Zaira López
MVMaira Moreno Valtierra
Maira Moreno Valtierra
Zaira Yunuen Garcia CarvajalZaira Yunuen Garcia Carvajal
Zaira Yunuen Garcia Carvajal

6 August 2024 in Gels
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MVMaira Moreno Valtierra
Maira Moreno Valtierra
ACAdriana Urue Corral
Adriana Urue Corral
JAJorge Armando Jiménez Avalos
Jorge Armando Jiménez Avalos
EAErika Barbosa Avalos
Erika Barbosa Avalos
JDJudith Dávila-Rodríguez
Judith Dávila-Rodríguez
Zaira Yunuen Garcia CarvajalZaira Yunuen Garcia Carvajal
Zaira Yunuen Garcia Carvajal
Cell spheroids are an important three-dimensional (3D) model for in vitro testing and are gaining interest for their use in clinical applications. More natural 3D cell culture environments that support cell–cell interactions have been created for cancer drug discovery and therapy applications, such as the scaffold-free 3D Petri Dish® technology. This technology uses reusable and autoclavable silicone micro-molds with different topographies, and it conventionally uses gelled agarose for hydrogel formation to preserve the topography of the selected micro-mold. The present study investigated the feasibility of using a patterned Poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel using the circular topography 12–81 (9 × 9 wells) micro-mold to form HeLa cancer cell spheroids and compare them with the formed spheroids using agarose hydrogels. PVA hydrogels showed a slightly softer, springier, and stickier texture than agarose hydrogels. After preparation, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra showed chemical interactions through hydrogen bonding in the PVA and agarose hydrogels. Both types of hydrogels favor the formation of large HeLa spheroids with an average diameter of around 700–800 µm after 72 h. However, the PVA spheroids are more compact than those from agarose, suggesting a potential influence of micro-mold surface chemistry on cell behavior and spheroid formation. This was additionally confirmed by evaluating the spheroid size, morphology, integrity, as well as E-cadherin and Ki67 expression. The results suggest that PVA promotes stronger cell-to-cell interactions in the spheroids. Even the integrity of PVA spheroids was maintained after exposure to the drug cisplatin. In conclusion, the patterned PVA hydrogels were successfully prepared using the 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds, and they could be used as suitable platforms for studying cell–cell interactions in cancer drug therapy.