British scientists have developed a unique technique for growing cancer cells using 3D printing. The new method is characterized by a very high rate of cell growth and provides doctors with new opportunities in testing various types of tumor treatment, in particular, brain cancer.
Experimental cancer treatments are usually tested using specially grown malignant cells, but this approach, in addition to simplicity, has some drawbacks. For example, cells grown outside the body, as a result, behave very differently than if they were part of the human body.
“We were finally able to fundamentally solve the problem of recreating the natural biological environment when growing artificial cancer cells. The invention, which could revolutionize the modern understanding of cancer therapy, was made possible by the proliferation of 3D printing technologies,”says one of the promising method's authors, Will Shue.
Created by a team of doctors led by Shu, the technology of 3D printing of cancer cells is aimed primarily at finding new strategies for treating brain tumors, but can also be used to treat other types of cancer.