Researchers 3D-print entire active tumor

The 3D-bioprinted tumor is made from a gel composition that resembles the brain and includes a complex system of blood vessel-like tubes through which blood cells and drugs can flow, simulating how a real tumor develops and reacts to treatments. “The process in which we bio-print a tumor from a patient is that we go to the operating suite, we extract tissue from the tumor and we print it according to the MRI of that patient,” explains Satchi-Fainaro, who is also Director of the Cancer Biology Research Center and Head of the Cancer Research and Nanomedicine Laboratory at Tel Aviv University. “Then, we have about two weeks in which we can test all the different therapies to evaluate their efficacy for that specific tumor, and get back with an answer about which treatment is predicted to be the best fit.”

Using biological samples from patients, the researchers teamed up with Dr. Asaf Madi’s lab at TAU’s Department of Pathology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, to conduct genetic sequencing of the cancer cells in the 3D model. With their approach, the researchers could replicate the specific growth rate and behavior of each tumor. As a result, Satchi-Fainaro says, “We proved that our 3D-printed model is better suited for predicting treatment efficacy, drug target discovery and new drug development.”

The 3D technology was developed by PhD student Lena Neufeld, together with other researchers at Satchi-Fainaro’s laboratory: Eilam Yeini, Noa Reisman, Yael Shtilerman, Dr. Dikla Ben-Shushan, Sabina Pozzi, Dr. Galia Tiram, Dr. Anat Eldar-Boock and Dr. Shiran Farber. The 3D-bioprinted models are based on samples from patients, taken directly from operating rooms at the Neurosurgery Department of the TAU-affiliated Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital).

Source: Tel Aviv University