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Biomaterials to model and measure epithelial cancers
Pranjali Beri1, Bibiana F Matte1,2, Laurent Fattet3,4
1Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Nature Reviews. Materials
|November 13, 2018
Summary
Biomaterials offer advanced models of the tumor microenvironment for studying cancer progression and cell behavior. They also enable the detection and capture of circulating tumor cells for early metastasis detection and diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cancer Biology
- Oncology
Background:
- Biomaterials are crucial for understanding tumorigenesis and capturing tumor cells.
- They serve as in vitro models mimicking the tumor microenvironment's architectural, mechanical, and biological functions.
- Engineered biomaterials replicate spatial and temporal niche properties to study environmental effects on cancer progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review natural and synthetic biomaterials for recreating tumor microenvironments.
- To examine biomaterial applications in capturing circulating tumor cells for metastasis detection.
- To highlight biomaterial strategies for diagnosing and prognosing cancer, including cellular deformability and stroma surveillance.
Main Methods:
- Review of natural and synthetic biomaterials.
- Analysis of biomaterial applications in vitro and in vivo.
- Discussion of biomaterial-based diagnostic and prognostic strategies.
Main Results:
- Biomaterials effectively model tumor microenvironments and cancer cell behavior.
- Biomaterials facilitate the capture of circulating tumor cells for early metastasis detection.
- Biomaterial-based devices show potential for cancer diagnosis and prognosis.
Conclusions:
- Biomaterials are versatile tools in cancer research, diagnostics, and prognostics.
- They provide valuable alternatives to animal models for cancer cell behavior studies.
- Biomaterial applications extend to early metastasis detection and non-invasive tumor surveillance.
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