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Updated: Jul 22, 2026
Generation of High-Throughput Three-Dimensional Tumor Spheroids for Drug Screening
Published on: September 5, 2018
A fully 3D-printed versatile tumor-on-a-chip allows multi-drug screening and correlation with clinical outcomes for
Eliana Steinberg1, Roy Friedman2, Yoel Goldstein1
1The Institute for Drug Research, The School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Abstract:
Optimal clinical outcomes in cancer treatments could be achieved through the development of reliable, precise ex vivo tumor models that function as drug screening platforms for patient-targeted therapies. Microfluidic tumor-on-chip technology is emerging as a preferred tool since it enables the complex set-ups and recapitulation of the physiologically relevant physical microenvironment of tumors. In order to overcome the common hindrances encountered while using this technology, a fully 3D-printed device was developed that sustains patient-derived multicellular spheroids long enough to conduct multiple drug screening tests. This tool is both cost effective and possesses four necessary characteristics of effective microfluidic devices: transparency, biocompatibility, versatility, and sample accessibility. Compelling correlations which demonstrate a clinical proof of concept were found after testing and comparing different chemotherapies on tumor spheroids, derived from ten patients, to their clinical outcomes. This platform offers a potential solution for personalized medicine by functioning as a predictive drug-performance tool.
Insights
A novel 3D-printed microfluidic device enables precise ex vivo tumor modeling for patient-specific drug screening. This cost-effective platform accurately predicts chemotherapy response, advancing personalized cancer medicine.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Oncology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Ex vivo tumor models are crucial for personalized cancer therapy and drug screening.
- Microfluidic tumor-on-chip technology offers a physiologically relevant platform but faces challenges.
- 3D printing provides a versatile approach to developing advanced microfluidic devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a cost-effective, 3D-printed microfluidic device for sustained culture of patient-derived tumor spheroids.
- To utilize this device as a drug screening platform for personalized cancer treatments.
- To validate the platform's clinical relevance by correlating drug screening results with patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a fully 3D-printed microfluidic device with transparency, biocompatibility, versatility, and sample accessibility.
- Culture of patient-derived multicellular tumor spheroids within the microfluidic device.
- Screening of various chemotherapies on the established tumor spheroids.
- Comparison of in vitro drug screening results with actual clinical outcomes from ten cancer patients.
Main Results:
- The 3D-printed device successfully sustained patient-derived multicellular spheroids for multiple drug screening tests.
- Testing revealed compelling correlations between the efficacy of different chemotherapies in vitro and their clinical outcomes.
- The platform demonstrated a clinical proof of concept for predicting drug performance.
Conclusions:
- The developed 3D-printed microfluidic device is a reliable and cost-effective tool for ex vivo tumor modeling and drug screening.
- This technology has the potential to significantly advance personalized medicine in cancer treatment.
- The platform serves as a predictive drug-performance tool, enabling tailored therapeutic strategies.
