The application of 19F magnetic resonance ex vivo imaging of three-dimensional cultured breast cancer cells to study the effect of delta-tocopherol.

The aim of this study was to determine the role of delta-tocopherol in breast cancer cell growth ex vivo. Human gland mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) and human T-lymphoblastoid (CEM) cells were cultured in the presence of delta-tocopherol at various concentrations (0-750 microM) for 5 days. We have grown 3D ex vivo breast cancer cell cultures in the hollow fiber bioreactor (HFBR). (19)F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to evaluate oxygen concentration in the cell suspension and thus its viability.