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Epithelial cancer cells exhibit different electrical properties when cultured in 2D and 3D environments

For the purposes of drug trials, cells are conventionally grown in laboratory on flat surfaces. This leads to 2D cells adopting a flat and isolated state. This is completely different to cells grow in vivo, where they adopt 3D shapes in close proximity and communicate with other cells. We compared cells grown in 2D and 3D. Their electrophysiology showed cancer cells grown in 3D have significantly different electrical characteristics (and hence biochemical makeup) from those grown in 2D. Normal cells were similar in both conditions. This is significant in drug discovery and validity of drug assays founded on 2D-grown cells.