3D nanoscaffolds: Bridging the gap between tumor microenvironment and therapy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cancer Biology
• Nanomedicine

Background:

• The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of cellular and non-cellular components that regulate tumor growth and treatment response.
• Understanding TME complexity is crucial for developing effective cancer therapies.
• Current TME modeling and drug delivery methods have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the components, characteristics, and roles of the TME.
• To highlight the advancements and applications of 3D scaffolds in TME modeling and localized drug delivery.
• To discuss future prospects and limitations of 3D scaffolds for TME research.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on TME components and 3D scaffold technology.
• Classification and characterization of TME-responsive scaffolds.
• Analysis of scaffold applications in TME modeling and drug delivery.

Main Results:

• 3D scaffolds, particularly TME-responsive ones, show promise for accurate TME modeling.
• These scaffolds facilitate localized drug delivery, potentially overcoming resistance to anticancer therapies.
• Nanomedicine advances enable sophisticated scaffold design with favorable physicochemical properties.

Conclusions:

• 3D scaffolds represent a significant advancement in studying the TME and developing targeted cancer treatments.
• TME-responsive scaffolds offer a promising platform for personalized medicine and overcoming drug resistance.
• Further research into 3D scaffolds is essential for realizing their full therapeutic potential.