Lab-Grown Models Poised to Revolutionize early Cancer detection and treatment
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A groundbreaking new review highlights how advances in tissue engineering and New Approach Methodologies are offering unprecedented tools to study the earliest stages of cancer development, potentially transforming detection, treatment, and survival rates.
Scientists have long faced a critical challenge in cancer research: limited access to early-stage tumor samples. This obstacle has hindered understanding of the basic changes occurring as healthy tissue transitions to cancerous cells. Now, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cancer Institute and collaborating institutions are pioneering innovative methods to recreate the complexities of cancer in the lab, offering a crucial window into the disease’s origins.
Bridging the Gap wiht Human-Relevant Technologies
New Approach Methodologies are gaining prominence as a way to replace, reduce, or refine animal testing, utilizing human-relevant technologies like in vitro tests, organoids, organs-on-a-chip, and computational modeling. These techniques allow scientists to meticulously recreate and manipulate the early tumor surroundings, testing the influence of cellular, genetic, and environmental factors on cancer development. This approach is also accelerating the discovery of biomarkers – biological indicators that could enable earlier and more accurate cancer detection.
“This is a really exciting time in cancer research,” stated a senior researcher involved in the study. “There is momentum in bringing together cancer biology, engineering and clinical treatment. There are so many avenues that didn’t exist before.”
Pioneering 3D Bioprinting and Cancer interception
The research builds upon nearly a decade of work by Luiz Bertassoni, D.D.S., Ph.D., and his team, who initially gained recognition for developing a groundbreaking method to 3D print blood vessels. Bertassoni is now applying this expertise to study complex cancers using a new chip-based system that accurately mimics the human bone-tumor environment. This advanced bioengineering creates realistic in vitro models,supporting the Food and Drug administration’s shift towards human-cell-based systems.
A key focus of this research is cancer interception – intervening early, even before a tumor fully forms, to halt its progression. This represents a significant departure from conventional cancer treatment, which often focuses on late-stage disease.
Bioprinting: Building Tumors from the Ground Up
Haylie Helms, M.S., an OHSU graduate student in biomedical engineering and lead author of the review, is at the forefront of this innovation. Her research centers on single-cell 3D bioprinting, a technique that allows for the creation of complex, realistic 3D tumor models mirroring the in vivo environment.
“we can first build a healthy tissue and use different tools to turn it into cancer,” Helms explained. “We can also take live cancer cells from a patient biopsy and add them into the model. In the lab, we can watch and see, ‘why does a precancerous lesion in one person stay that way and never turn into cancer and in another person, it becomes a malignant tumor?'”
These models can be used to study tumor development, assess responses to drugs, and personalize treatment strategies. .
A Future focused on Early Detection
Early detection remains one of the most critical factors in cancer survival. These new technologies promise to unlock a deeper understanding of how cancer forms and progresses, paving the way for earlier diagnosis and even predicting cancer initiation. The review, published Monday, November 3, in the journal Nature reviews Bioengineering, signals a paradigm shift in cancer research, emphasizing a proactive approach to combating the disease at its earliest stages.
The convergence of biology, engineering, and clinical treatment offers a hopeful outlook for the future of cancer care, with researchers aiming to understand and treat the disease at the earliest possible moment.
