Descrizione del progetto
Ricreare un ecosistema tumorale del paziente con la stampa 3D favorirà il trattamento di precisione
Uno dei problemi principali della sperimentazione nei sistemi modello è la congruità del sistema modello nel rappresentare la malattia o la condizione umana da valutare. Nel caso del cancro, è ormai chiaro che l’interazione delle cellule tumorali con il loro microambiente è determinante per la progressione e le metastasi della malattia nonché per la risposta alla terapia. 3DCanPredict sta sviluppando un nuovo sistema analitico che utilizza un modello di tumore biostampato in 3D che sfrutta substrati di idrogel e le cellule tumorali del paziente. Con la possibilità di mettere in infusione i vasi sanguigni funzionali con il siero del paziente attraverso una pompa, il sistema non solo imita il microambiente tumorale, ma apre le porte alla medicina oncologica personalizzata.
Obiettivo
Predicting clinical response to novel and existing anticancer drugs remains a major hurdle for successful cancer treatment. Studies indicate that the tumor ecosystem, resembling an organ-like structure, can limit the predictive power of current therapies that were evaluated solely on tumor cells. The interactions of tumor cells with their adjacent microenvironment are required to promote tumor progression and metastasis, determining drug responsiveness. Such interactions do not form in standard research techniques, where cancer cells grow on 2D plastic dishes. Hence, there is a need to develop new cancer models that better mimic the physio-pathological conditions of tumors. Here, we create 3D-bioprinted tumor models based on a library of hydrogels we developed as scaffold for different tumor types, designed according to the mechanical properties of the tissue of origin. As PoC, we bioprinted a vascularized 3D brain tumor model from brain tumor cells co-cultured with stromal cells and mixed with our hydrogels, that resemble the biophysics of the tumor and its microenvironment. Our patient-derived models consist of cells from a biopsy, constructed according to CT/MRI scans, and include functional vessels allowing for patients' serum to flow when connected to a pump. These models will facilitate reproducible, reliable and rapid results, determining which treatment suits best the specific patient's tumor. Taken together, this 3D-printed model could be the basis for potentially replacing cell and animal models. We predict that this powerful platform will be used in translational research for preclinical evaluation of new therapies and for clinical drug screening, which will save critical time, reduce toxicity and significantly decrease costs generating a major societal benefit. Our platform offers a highly attractive business case, as pharmaceutical and biotech companies heavily invest in preclinical predictive tools for novel personalized drug screening strategies.
Campo scientifico
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Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum PilotIstituzione ospitante
69978 Tel Aviv
Israele