Perspectives for 3D-Bioprinting in Modeling of Tumor Immune Evasion

Abstract

In a living organism, cancer cells function in a specific microenvironment, where they exchange numerous physical and biochemical cues with other cells and the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). Immune evasion is a clinically relevant phenomenon, in which cancer cells are able to direct this interchange of signals against the immune effector cells and to generate an immunosuppressive environment favoring their own survival. A proper understanding of this phenomenon is substantial for generating more successful anticancer therapies. However, classical cell culture systems are unable to sufficiently recapture the dynamic nature and complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) to be of satisfactory use for comprehensive studies on mechanisms of tumor immune evasion. In turn, 3D-bioprinting is a rapidly evolving manufacture technique, in which it is possible to generate finely detailed structures comprised of multiple cell types and biomaterials serving as ECM-analogues. In this review, we focus on currently used 3D-bioprinting techniques, their applications in the TME research, and potential uses of 3D-bioprinting in modeling of tumor immune evasion and response to immunotherapies.

Toward 3D‐Bioprinted Models of the Liver to Boost Drug Development

“…[ 36 ] As specifically regards the fabrication of liver tissue models, due to the spherical shape characterizing droplets, IBB still represents a viable option for the fabrication of cell‐laden spheroids, that are considered one of the leading choices to model the hepatic environment. [ 37–39 ]…”

“…characterizing droplets, IBB still represents a viable option for the fabrication of cell-laden spheroids, that are considered one of the leading choices to model the hepatic environment. [37][38][39] Photocuring bioprinting (PCB) relies on collimating a beam and moving it to crosslink a photo-crosslinkable bioink, according to the CAD geometry. [40][41][42] This technique strongly limits the choice of inks to those based on materials that can be photocrosslinked, or that can be functionalized to be suitable for photocrosslinking.…”

Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Systems in Pediatric and Adult Brain Tumor Precision Medicine

“…In general, bioprinting uses several distinct cell types suspended in hydrogel-based bioinks. These bioinks can be assembled into complex, customizable 3D structures in a layer-by-layer strategy [ 79 ]. One significant advantage of this technique is that diverse cell types can be composed in known proportions and spatial configurations, potentially mimicking tumors and their microenvironment.…”

3D bioprinting complex models of cancer

“…30–33 The use of spheroids in cancer research allows for a more detailed analysis of molecular diffusion, while organoids can accurately replicate the organization of various cell types found in the body. 33–38 Nevertheless, these models have the drawback of not being able to precisely control the arrangement of various cell types in complex architecture and are difficult to produce, especially spheroids. However, organoids are pluripotent stem cell-derived 3D cell culture systems that include tissue-specific cell types and mimic the characteristics of developing tissue.…”