Advances in microengineered platforms for 3D tumor production and modeling

The facile and large-scale construction of in vitro biomimetic three-dimensional (3D) tumor models has been pursued for cancer exploration, clinical/preclinical drug screening and discovery, as well as personalized therapy. The utilization of microengineering technologies in in vitro tumor fabrication and modeling is one of the most promising approaches and allows to create innovative outcomes being impractical or impossible to reach using conventional methods. Herein, an overview of technological and methodological development of microengineered systems for 3D tumor production and modeling is presented. The typical features of microengineering technologies are emphasized. The recent progress in the establishment of the miniaturized platforms based on multiple microfluidic and microarray methods for 3D tumor preparation and biomimetic construction are summarized. Their key advantages, achievements, and limitations with respect to cell manipulation and tumor formation are described and discussed. Finally, the challenges that need to be overcome to strengthen the functional performance of microengineered platforms are highlighted.