University of Waterloo lab creates 3D model of complex cancers to help test treatments

A University of Waterloo-based team of researchers have created a method for better 3D modelling of complex cancers.

They've combined cutting-edge bio-printing techniques with synthetic structures or microfluidic chips.

The method will help researchers better understand tumours with more than one kind of cancer cell, often dispersed in unpredictable patterns.

"Every patient's tumour can be unique," said Mohammad Kohandel, a professor of applied mathematics at the University of Waterloo.

Traditionally, medical practitioners biopsy a patient's tumour, extract cells and then grow them in a flat petri dish in a lab.

"The main issue is that the 2D structure does not capture the real tumours, which are 3D," said Kohandel, who also supervised the research.

In a university news release, lead author of the study, Nafiseh Moghimi, said a decade ago repeated treatment failures in human trials made scientists realize that a 2D model does not capture the real tumour structure inside the body.

The team's research addresses this problem by creating a 3D model that not only reflects the complexity of a tumour, but stimulates its surrounding environment.

"We are creating something that is very, very new in Canada. Maybe just a couple of labs are doing something even close to this research," Moghimi said in the release.

The team created tiny structures etched with channels that mimic blood flow and other fluids that surround a tumour. Then they grew multiple types of cancer cells and suspended the structures in bio-ink, which keeps them alive. Finally, they used a device that resembles a 3D printer, but for organic material, to layer the different types of cancer cells onto the prepared microfluidic chips.

This gave scientists a living three-dimensional model of complex cancers they can use to test different modes of treatment like various chemotherapy drugs.

"[It helps] investigate different drug responses and dosage variations across different types of cancers," said Dorsa Mohammadrezaei, one of the study's co-authors.

The team is particularly interested in creating complex models of breast cancer.

"First, it is one of the most common cancers in women and second, there are specific subtypes that are resistant to drugs and the patients do not respond to the drug" said Kohandel.

The researchers say it is especially challenging to treat because it appears as complex tumours when it metastasizes. Relying on the cells from one or two biopsies to accurately represent an entire tumour can lead to ineffective treatment plans.

The hope is to extend the work for other types of cancers and ultimately, increase their odds with a three-dimensional approach for a disease with unknown dimensions. 

 To read the full study click here.