Tumor engineering: the other face of tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cancer Biology
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Biomimetic strategies in tissue engineering provide cells with their native microenvironment.
• Cancer is characterized by a loss of integration between tissue architecture and function.
• Tumor engineering applies biomimetic principles to create advanced cancer models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the application of tissue engineering strategies to cancer research.
• To highlight the potential of 'tumor engineering' for studying tumor biology.
• To encourage interdisciplinary collaboration for understanding the tumor microenvironment.

Main Methods:

• Discussion of existing research in biomimetic strategies and tumor biology.
• Conceptual framework for 'tumor engineering' using complex cell culture models.
• Examples of fundamental questions addressable by tumor engineering models.

Main Results:

• Biomimetic strategies are applicable to understanding tumor biology.
• Complex cell culture models ('tumor engineering') can recapitulate the in vivo tumor microenvironment.
• Tumor engineering facilitates study of tumor development, progression, and therapy dynamics.

Conclusions:

• Tumor engineering offers a novel approach to investigate cancer hallmarks.
• Developing advanced tumor models is crucial for unraveling tumor microenvironment complexity.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration is vital for both regenerative medicine and cancer research.