3D bioprinting tumor models mimic the tumor microenvironment for drug screening

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Oncology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Cancer is a leading global cause of death, with drug therapy being a primary treatment.
• Traditional tumor models fail to accurately mimic human tumors, hindering preclinical drug development.
• There is a critical need for advanced in vitro tumor models for effective anticancer drug screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting methods for creating advanced in vitro tumor models.
• To discuss bioink selection and design strategies for complex tumor microenvironment (TME) features.
• To highlight the application of 3D bioprinting in high-throughput anticancer drug screening.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology to fabricate in vitro tumor models.
• Incorporating spatial and chemical complexity into tumor models.
• Employing various bioinks and design strategies to replicate the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Main Results:

• 3D bioprinting enables the creation of tumor models with controlled structures, homogeneous morphology, and reduced batch variation.
• These models offer a more realistic representation of the tumor microenvironment (TME).
• Bioprinted models facilitate rapid, high-throughput screening of anticancer drugs.

Conclusions:

• Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a powerful tool for developing advanced in vitro tumor models.
• These models significantly improve the preclinical evaluation of anticancer drugs compared to traditional methods.
• Bioprinting technology holds great promise for accelerating the discovery and development of novel cancer therapies.