Researchers at New York University (NYU) have engineered a 3D printed model that recreates the nutrient-deprived conditions fostering cancer spread, or metastasis. Published in Life Science Alliance, this breakthrough model enables the direct observation of metastatic behavior in real-time, providing researchers with unprecedented insights into a critical stage in cancer progression often hidden in live patients and traditional models.
Metastasis—the movement of cancer cells from the primary site to other organs—accounts for most cancer-related fatalities. While advancements in cancer treatment have improved overall prognoses, metastasis presents persistent challenges. NYU’s 3D microenvironment chamber, known as “3MIC,” uses live microscopy to capture how cancer cells acquire metastatic traits within oxygen-deprived, low-nutrient zones deep within tumors. Carlos Carmona-Fontaine, an associate professor at NYU and the study’s lead author, highlights this step as a critical frontier in cancer research. “Witnessing the transition of a tumor cell to a metastatic state could be transformative,” he noted, underscoring the difficulty of observing such events in conventional models.
Using precisely engineered geometry, 3MIC illuminates cancer’s behavior in extreme conditions, where resources are scarce and traditional treatments often fail. Carmona-Fontaine’s team noted that established therapies like Taxol, effective under normal conditions, showed limited efficacy in targeting cancer cells deprived of nutrients and oxygen. This discovery suggests that the diminished response to drugs in metastatic cancers may result from cellular adaptations rather than reduced drug access.
Developments in 3D Printed Tumor Research
In 2023, CELLINK collaborated with Carcinotech to advance cancer drug development using 3D printed tumor models. This partnership focuses on developing and commercializing protocols for biofabricating 3D printed tumor models using various cancer cell lines. By leveraging CELLINK’s BIO CELLX system, the collaboration aims to enhance the accuracy and speed of drug testing processes, thereby reducing development costs and improving research outcomes. The protocols developed are designed to incorporate a physiologically representative ratio of five key cell types relevant to each cancer type, ensuring that the models accurately reflect the tumor microenvironment.
Additionally, researchers at Tel Aviv University developed a 3D printed glioblastoma model using patient-derived cells to create personalized tumor environments. This model represents the first fully functioning 3D replica of a glioblastoma tumor, including the surrounding tissues that influence its development. By enabling the creation of 100 tiny tumors from a single patient sample, the model facilitates the rapid screening of multiple drug combinations to identify the most effective treatments. Additionally, the TAU team used this technology to target specific protein mechanisms that contribute to immune system-mediated tumor spread, successfully delaying glioblastoma growth and inhibiting its progression.
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Featured Images showcase the Design and implementation of a metabolic microenvironment chamber for 3D cultures and a Time-lapse of Cancer Cell Behavior Under Different Conditions. Photos via NYU.
