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Updated: Mar 19, 2026
Hydrogel Arrays Enable Increased Throughput for Screening Effects of Matrix Components and Therapeutics in 3D Tumor Models
Published on: June 16, 2022
Recreating complex pathophysiologies in vitro with extracellular matrix surrogates for anticancer therapeutics
Naledi Shologu1, Eva Szegezdi2, Aoife Lowery3
1Regenerative, Modular & Developmental Engineering Laboratory (REMODEL), Biomedical Sciences Building, National University of Ireland Galway (NUI Galway), Galway, Ireland; Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM), Biomedical Sciences Building, National University of Ireland Galway (NUI Galway), Galway, Ireland.
Abstract:
In vitro tumour models utilise various cancer cells and an appropriate extracellular matrix equivalent to recapitulate the in vivo tumour microenvironment. Three-dimensional tissue surrogates (e.g., decellularised tissue grafts, decellularised monolayers, hydrogels, electrospun fibres and sponges) are increasingly used as alternatives to conventional two-dimensional monolayer cultures to model the tissue environment more faithfully for drug development and screening. Herein, we critically assess the advances and shortfalls of these three-dimensional systems as in vitro models of cancer.
