Advanced biomaterial strategies for 3D in vitro biomimetic neuroblastoma cell culture

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor of infancy, and a lethal form of paediatric cancer. The treatment of this cancer remains challenging due to its heterogeneity. In some cases, the cancer regresses to become benign, while in others it becomes highly aggressive. In this latter case, the level of sensitivity to treatments such as retinoic acid cannot be predicted. An in vitro avatar of the patient's cancer would be of great value to identify the most effective treatment. In order to better understand the biology of this cancer and to find strategies for its treatment, the scientific community is devoted to developing 3D biomimetic approaches. The purpose of this review is to identify and explain the various techniques of 3D culture, to present their advantages and disadvantages, and their capacity to reproduce in vivo phenomena. It will also provide examples of their uses. While some models such as hydrogels and organoids/spheroids are already established, some upcoming techniques emerging from recent technological developments will allow the development of models that enable deeper control of architecture and functionalization parameters, thanks to the use of 3D printing, photo-polymerization, bioprinting, and fused deposition modeling.