Advances in tissue engineering and 3D-bioprinting have revolutionized the development of physiologically relevant 3D in vitro cancer models, offering a closer representation of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and enabling high-throughput drug screening.
In a recent study conducted by Carcinotech, we explored whether a 3D-bioprinted lung cancer model developed using our proprietary methodologies could serve as a valuable tool for preclinical research and drug development. This research was first presented at the 2024 European Association for Cancer Research Annual Congress in Rotterdam and subsequently published in Molecular Oncology.
Goals and Findings
Our novel approach involved developing a patient-derived, 3D-printed lung cancer model. We utilized cells from patient cancer biopsies, including critical TME components, to replicate the TME accurately. Patient tumor biopsies were processed and sectioned into FFPE blocks, with TME assessed using immunofluorescence (IF). Patient-derived cells were cultured and 3D-bioprinted with custom ECM components into 96-well plates. After 14 days, we characterized the 3D model composition, ensuring it mirrored the original tumor. Additionally, we tested immunotherapeutic and standard-of-care treatments, observing changes in cellular composition through viability, cytotoxicity, apoptosis assays, and IF microscopy.
Conclusion
Our findings demonstrated that the novel, patient-derived, 3D-printed lung cancer models successfully replicate the TME with high accuracy. Through comprehensive characterization, we confirmed the presence of both cellular and non-cellular components in our bioprints. Moreover, we demonstrated that these components maintained their integrity for 14 days post-printing. The models also responded effectively to both standard and immunotherapeutic treatments, underscoring their potential as platforms for high-throughput drug discovery and screening.
