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Updated: Jan 15, 2026
A Biomimetic Model for Liver Cancer to Study Tumor-Stroma Interactions in a 3D Environment with Tunable Bio-Physical Properties
Published on: August 7, 2020
3D-bioprinted liver cancer models derived from primary hepatocytes for simulating cancer initiation and drug
Yuanyuan Zhao1, Yuxin Li, Wenjie Zhang
1State Key Laboratory of Advanced Medical Materials and Devices, Engineering Research Center of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Technology and Device (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
Background:
HCC remains one of the most lethal cancers globally, and accurately replicating the early events of tumor evolution remains a critical challenge.
Methods:
In this study, we developed early-stage liver cancer cell lines by introducing distinct combinations of oncogenes into primary mouse hepatocytes. Using 3D bioprinting technology, combined with bioinks composed of gelatin and alginate, we constructed a more precise representation of liver cancer tissue to better simulate key tumor characteristics.
Results:
Our·findings revealed that different oncogene combinations produced unique drug response profiles, with Ras-driven cells exhibiting heightened sensitivity to ferroptosis. Furthermore, 3D bioprinting tumor tissues derived from transformed hepatocytes effectively captured early HCC characteristics. These models preserved key features of early-stage liver cancer and provided a reliable platform for drug screening. Importantly, the 3D models demonstrated higher resistance to chemotherapy and targeted therapies compared with 2D cultures.
Conclusions:
In summary, we established both 2D and 3D models that replicate early HCC progression, offering valuable tools for drug screening and advancing our understanding of early carcinogenic mechanisms.
