Biomimetic 3D bioprinting approaches to engineer the tumor microenvironment

Abstract

With the increasing incidence and mortality rates, cancer remains a major health challenge in the world. Despite advances in therapies and clinical programs, the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs often fails to translate from pre-clinical models to patient clinical trials. To date, pre-clinical cancer models, including two-dimensional cell cultures and animal models, have limited versatility and accuracy in recapitulating the complexity of human cancer. To address these limitations, a growing focus has fostered the development of three-dimensional (3D) tumor models that closely resemble the in vivo tumor microenvironment and heterogeneity. Recent efforts have leveraged bioengineering technologies, such as biofabrication, to engineer new platforms that mimic healthy and diseased organs, aiming to overcome the shortcomings of conventional models, such as for musculoskeletal tissues. Notably, 3D bioprinting has emerged as a powerful tool in cancer research, offering precise control over cell and biomaterial deposition to fabricate architecturally complex and reproducible functional models. The following review underscores the urgent need for more accurate and relevant 3D tumor models, highlighting the advantages of the use of biofabrication approaches to engineer new biomimetics platforms. We provide an updated discussion on the role of bioengineering technologies in cancer research and modeling with particular focus on 3D bioprinting platforms, as well as a close view on biomaterial inks and 3D bioprinting technologies employed in cancer modeling. Further insights into the 3D bioprinting tissue-specific modeling panorama are presented in this paper, offering a comprehensive overview of the new possibilities for cancer study and drug discovery.