Flux balance analysis of head and neck cancer cell lines to characterize the impact of physiological media on metabolic profile

BACKGROUND AND QUESTION 
Current commercial cell growth medias are formulated to provide cell cultures with necessary nutrients. While these formulations can successfully keep cells alive in vitro, they often contain a nutrient profile that differs from that which is available to cells in the in vivo environment. The nutrient composition of commercial media, therefore, can cause “metabolic artifacts” [1] in cancer cells. These artifacts include reversing the urea cycle due to their arginine concentrations, a phenomenon which is “not observed in vivo” [1]. Plasmax is a physiological media which aims to better mimic the in vivo environment and was shown to not cause metabolic artifacts in breast cancer cell lines. The Kemp Lab is interested in verifying these results in two matched head and neck cancer cell lines that reflect radiation-sensitive and radiationresistant phenotypes. Artifacts in the metabolic profiles of cells can impact the perceived efficacy of potential treatments when tested, as the cells may respond differently than they would in the in vivo environment. If the metabolic profiles of head and neck cancer cell lines differ greatly when exposed to Plasmax as opposed to commercial media, cell culture practices should be changed accordingly to create an in vitro environment that most closely matches the in vivo environment.