Researchers from the University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences have developed a new method for bioprinting miniature tumour organoids that mimic the function and framework of real tumours. These advancements can help researchers identify personalised treatments for rare or hard-to-treat cancers by allowing them to use an advanced imaging method to study and analyse individual organoids in greater detail. The miniaturised tumours, also known as organoids, can be grown in a lab using cell lines or patients’ own cells to better understand human biology and diseases. Recreating patient tumours can allow researchers to test different drugs to see if the tumour responds well or poorly to the drug, making it easier for physicians to choose the best therapy for their patients.
The research team combined bioprinted cells with high-speed live cell interferometry and machine learning algorithms to analyse and measure individual organoids. This new pipeline enables deeper drug screening information of 3D models of disease. The researchers confirmed that with the new methods, they could measure the growth patterns of the bioprinted tumour cells over time to observe how they responded to different drugs or treatments. The team identified an effect of certain drugs on cells at a six-hour window after adding the therapies. The research team was also able to identify small groups of cells that did not respond to the drugs, even within very homogeneous cell line samples primarily composed of cells that were responsive to the treatment.
The team’s study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, a Eugene V. Cota Robles Fellowship and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Researchers will use the new approach to uncover novel therapeutic avenues and mechanisms of resistance and eventually develop personalised treatment strategies. Patients with rare or hard-to-treat cancers can potentially benefit from these new personalized treatments.
