3D-printed tumor model enables faster, cheaper and less painful cancer treatment

An international team of researchers has developed a new method for 3D printing tumor models. This allows cancer to be more realistically replicated in the lab and therapies to be tested.

According to the University of Waterloo, the scientists combine state-of-the-art 3D printing methods with microfluidic chips. Different cancer cell types can be arranged on them to mimic their natural environment.

Until now, researchers have mostly grown cancer cells in two dimensions in Petri dishes. However, according to the developers, this does not realistically reflect the complex structure of tumors in the body. Their 3D model aims to change this.

It is based on polymer microfluidic chips with tiny channels that mimic blood flow and fluids around the tumor. On these, the team prints different cancer cell cultures layer by layer using a bioprinter equipped with special bio-inks.

This creates living 3D models that reproduce the heterogeneity of tumors. These can then be used to test various treatment methods such as chemotherapies.

According to the researchers led by Nafiseh Moghimi, the technique enables a completely new understanding of complex cancers such as breast cancer. The accuracy of treatment plans and the chances of a cure could thus be significantly increased.

The 3D models are also cheaper and gentler than animal testing.
The scientists are convinced that 3D printing will revolutionize cancer research. They are only just beginning to exploit the great potential.

The study provides an example of how new technologies can lead to more efficient and less invasive treatment options. 3D-printed tumor models are therefore likely to play an important role in cancer therapy in the near future.

The research, entitled “Controlled tumor heterogeneity in a co-culture system by 3D bio-printed tumor-on-chip model,” appears in Nature.