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Published on: January 5, 2021
Bioprinting and its Use in Tumor-On-A-Chip Technology for Cancer Drug Screening: A Review
Lingling Fang1, Yu Liu2, Junfeng Qiu3
1Department of Anesthesiology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
Abstract:
The rising global incidence of cancer and high attrition rates of anticancer drugs make it imperative to design novel screening platforms to increase the success rate of chemotherapeutic agents. Advances in cell culture models from two-dimensional to three-dimensional platforms, along with microfluidics, have resulted in the creation of tumor-on-a-chip technology, which enables high-throughput molecular screening and helps to simulate the dynamic tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, advancements in bioprinting have allowed the structural and physiological aspects of the tumor to be recreated accurately and help to mimic cell-cell interactions and cell-extracellular matrix. This paper provides a comprehensive review of three-dimensional bioprinting to fabricate a tumor-on-a-chip platform to advance the discovery and screening of anticancer agents and provides a perspective on the challenges and future directions associated with the adoption of this technology to advance cancer research.
Insights
Three-dimensional bioprinting creates advanced tumor-on-a-chip models for high-throughput screening of anticancer drugs. This technology aims to improve the success rate of novel chemotherapeutic agents in cancer research.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Cancer Research
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Rising global cancer incidence necessitates improved anticancer drug development.
- High attrition rates of drugs in clinical trials highlight the need for better screening platforms.
- Traditional cell culture models lack the complexity of the tumor microenvironment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the application of 3D bioprinting in fabricating tumor-on-a-chip platforms.
- To explore how these platforms can advance the discovery and screening of anticancer agents.
- To discuss challenges and future directions for this technology in cancer research.
Main Methods:
- Review of advancements in 3D cell culture and microfluidics leading to tumor-on-a-chip technology.
- Integration of bioprinting techniques to accurately recreate tumor structure and microenvironment.
- Analysis of high-throughput molecular screening capabilities enabled by these platforms.
Main Results:
- 3D bioprinting allows for accurate structural and physiological recreation of tumors.
- Tumor-on-a-chip platforms effectively mimic cell-cell interactions and the extracellular matrix.
- These platforms facilitate high-throughput screening, enhancing drug discovery efficiency.
Conclusions:
- 3D bioprinting is a powerful tool for developing advanced tumor-on-a-chip models.
- This technology holds significant promise for accelerating the discovery and screening of effective anticancer agents.
- Addressing current challenges will be crucial for widespread adoption in cancer research.
