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Updated: Apr 9, 2026
A Combined 3D Tissue Engineered In Vitro/In Silico Lung Tumor Model for Predicting Drug Effectiveness in Specific Mutational Backgrounds
Published on: April 6, 2016
Engineering in vitro models to target tumour recurrence
Nila C Wu1, Ruonan Cao1, Michelle Nurse2
1Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E5, Canada.
Abstract:
Strategies to target cell populations responsible for tumour recurrence are of critical clinical importance. Identifying subpopulations that exploit adaptive, nonmutational resistance mechanisms remains a challenge due to their highly plastic and tumour microenvironment (TME)-driven behaviour. Novel technologies to characterise and perturb these subpopulations are essential to understand how to disrupt their survival and growth. This review focuses on in vitro culture platforms to model stages of recurrence: initial survival, proliferation reinitiation, and tumour expansion, with a focus on the latter two stages. We evaluate the in vivo metrics that existing in vitro models attempt to capture, discuss advantages and limitations, and highlight emerging technologies with the potential to more accurately model recurrence in a complex TME with temporal resolution.
Insights
Targeting tumor recurrence is crucial. This review explores in vitro models to study adaptive resistance mechanisms and improve therapies for tumor recurrence, focusing on proliferation and expansion stages.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cancer Biology
- Tumor Microenvironment Research
Background:
- Tumor recurrence poses a significant clinical challenge, often driven by adaptive, nonmutational resistance mechanisms.
- Identifying and targeting these resistant subpopulations is difficult due to their plasticity and dependence on the tumor microenvironment (TME).
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and evaluate in vitro culture platforms for modeling tumor recurrence.
- To assess the ability of current models to capture in vivo metrics relevant to recurrence stages.
- To highlight emerging technologies for improved TME modeling with temporal resolution.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of in vitro culture platforms used to model tumor recurrence.
- Analysis of existing models' capacity to replicate in vivo recurrence dynamics.
- Evaluation of novel technologies for enhanced TME modeling.
Main Results:
- In vitro platforms offer valuable tools for studying tumor recurrence, particularly proliferation reinitiation and tumor expansion.
- Current models have limitations in fully recapitulating the complex, dynamic TME.
- Emerging technologies show promise for more accurate temporal modeling of recurrence.
Conclusions:
- Advanced in vitro models are essential for understanding and overcoming adaptive resistance in recurrent tumors.
- Further development of TME-mimicking platforms is needed to accurately model tumor recurrence.
- Novel technologies are key to disrupting survival and growth of resistant tumor subpopulations.
