Hydrogels consisting of controlled fractions of alginate, gelatin, and Matrigel enable the development of patient-derived bioprinted tissue models that support cancer spheroid growth and expansion. These engineered models can be dissociated to be then reintroduced to new hydrogel solutions and subsequently reprinted to generate multigenerational models. The process of harvesting cells from 3D bioprinted models is possible by chelating the ions that crosslink alginate, causing the gel to weaken. Inclusion of the gelatin and Matrigel fractions to the hydrogel increases the bioactivity by providing cell-matrix binding sites and promoting cross-talk between cancer cells and their microenvironment. Here we show that immortalized triple-negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) and patient-derived gastric adenocarcinoma cells can be reprinted for at least three 21 d culture cycles following bioprinting in the alginate/gelatin/Matrigel hydrogels. Our drug testing results suggest that our 3D bioprinted model can also be used to recapitulate in vivo patient drug response. Furthermore, our results show that iterative bioprinting techniques coupled with alginate biomaterials can be used to maintain and expand patient-derived cancer spheroid cultures for extended periods without compromising cell viability, altering division rates, or disrupting cancer spheroid formation.
Tissue development, wound healing, pathogenesis, regeneration, and homeostasis rely upon coordinated and dynamic spatial and temporal remodeling of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules. ECM reorganization and normal physiological tissue function, require...
Malignant tumor tissues exhibit inter- and intratumoral
heterogeneities,
aberrant development, dynamic stromal composition, diverse tissue
phenotypes, and cell populations growing within localized mechanical
stresses in hypoxic conditions. Experimental tumor models employing
engineered systems that isolate and study these complex variables
using in vitro techniques are under development as
complementary methods to preclinical in vivo models.
Here, advances in extrusion bioprinting as an enabling technology
to recreate the three-dimensional tumor milieu and its complex heterogeneous
characteristics are reviewed. Extrusion bioprinting allows for the
deposition of multiple materials, or selected cell types and concentrations,
into models based upon physiological features of the tumor. This affords
the creation of complex samples with representative extracellular
or stromal compositions that replicate the biology of patient tissue.
Biomaterial engineering of printable materials that replicate specific
features of the tumor microenvironment offer experimental reproducibility,
throughput, and physiological relevance compared to animal models.
In this review, we describe the potential of extrusion-based bioprinting
to recreate the tumor microenvironment within in vitro models.
The immune response against a tumor is characterized
by the interplay
among components of the immune system and neoplastic cells. Here,
we bioprinted a model with two distinct regions containing gastric
cancer patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and tumor-infiltrated lymphocytes
(TILs). The initial cellular distribution allows for the longitudinal
study of TIL migratory patterns concurrently with multiplexed cytokine
analysis. The chemical properties of the bioink were designed to present
physical barriers that immune T-cells must breech during infiltration
and migration toward a tumor with the use of an alginate, gelatin,
and basal membrane mix. TIL activity, degranulation, and regulation
of proteolytic activity reveal insights into the time-dependent biochemical
dynamics. Regulation of the sFas and sFas-ligand present on PDOs and
TILs, respectively, and the perforin and granzyme longitudinal secretion
confirms TIL activation when encountering PDO formations. TIL migratory
profiles were used to create a deterministic reaction–advection
diffusion model. The simulation provides insights that decouple passive
from active cell migration mechanisms. The mechanisms used by TILs
and other adoptive cell therapeutics as they infiltrate the tumor
barrier are poorly understood. This study presents a pre-screening
strategy for immune cells where motility and activation across ECM
environments are crucial indicators of cellular fitness.
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