3D bioprinting to combat cancer

Elena Martínez

Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya, Spain

Patients with colorectal cancer receive a good prognosis when the tumour is localised. Once the cancer spreads and metastasis occurs the therapeutic options are limited and it becomes difficult to predict the patient’s response to the chosen treatment.

3D bioprinting enables the generation of three-dimensional cell models that imitate the human physiology to test new therapeutic strategies in the laboratory. These models have the advantage of accurately mimicking the patient’s specific tumour and its surrounding environment.

A liquid biopsy is able to non-invasively monitor the therapeutic response in real time, studying tumour cells that are in the bloodstream and that are ultimately responsible for the metastasis process.

This project, which combines 3D bioprinting and advanced liquid biopsy techniques in an organ-on-a-chip device, seeks to provide doctors with new tools to understand and monitor evolution of the disease in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and thus improve their survival rate.

• Lorena Diéguez, Laboratorio Ibérico Internacional de Nanotecnología, Portugal

• Elena Elez, Fundació Institut Investigació Oncològica Vall Hebrón (VHIO), España

BioPrinted hydROgel MicrofluldicS to mimic patient-specific tumor mEtastatic microenvironment (PROMISE)

981.675 €