Engineering tumors: A tissue engineering perspective in cancer biology

Emily Burdett, F. Kurtis Kasper, Antonios G. Mikos, Joseph A. Ludwig

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

157 Scopus citations

Abstract

There is increasing recognition that three-dimensional (3D) tissue culture technologies have many uses within the biomedical sciences beyond the scope of regenerative medicine. One such use is in the field of cancer biology, where a 3D tumor model that accurately recreates the in vivo tumor phenotype would be a valuable tool for studying tumor biology and would allow better preclinical evaluation of anticancer drug candidates. The most widely used model involves small cellular aggregates, termed spheroids, which have been used by cancer biologists for decades and have consistently shown the superiority of 3D tissue culture over standard two-dimensional monolayer culture for mimicking the tumor behavior and drug resistance encountered in vivo. Currently, several research groups have begun to adapt more advanced 3D culture techniques from the tissue engineering field to create a more clinically accurate ex vivo model of tumor biology.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)351-359
Number of pages9
JournalTissue Engineering - Part B: Reviews
Volume16
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2010
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Bioengineering
  • Biomaterials
  • Biochemistry
  • Biomedical Engineering

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