Advances in 3D Bioprinting of Breast Cancer Cell Culture Models

TOPICAL COLLECTIONS

Guest Editors

Vincent Alford

Stanford University

Dr. Vincent M. Alford obtained his PhD in 2017 from the Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology at Stony Brook University. During his graduate studies, his dissertation research focused on the development of a standard approach for rational drug design against the functional activity of individual matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Results from this work led to the successful development of the first small molecule inhibitor specifically targeting the hemopexin domain of MMP-9. After obtaining his PhD, he then pursued a Postdoctoral Scholar position under Dr. Michael F. Clarke at Stanford University, within the Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. During this time, Vincent’s research projects slowly became broader and more focused on protein chemistry. More specifically, his research interests involved optimizing hit small molecules into lead drug candidates for use in treating chronic illnesses with unmet clinical needs, such as Triple Negative Breast Cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Vincent has also taken a great interest in developing novel 3D organoid based assays to evaluate drug efficacy since these cell culturing methods better mimic complex in vivo conditions and have shown to be more indicative of actual patient responses in clinical trials. After completing his Postdoctoral research at Stanford University in 2021, he sought his first job in industry, which led him to Thermo Fisher Scientific. During his time in industry, he has grown to understand the pre-commercial procurement (PCP) product development process, in addition to having the opportunity to work on various novel projects regarding predictive genomics, reproductive health, and population screening. Collectively, Vincent has a broad range of technical expertise in nucleic acid research, DNA sequencing, microarray platforms, fluorescence sorting/imaging, protein expression/purification, and drug development.

Yizhi Meng

Stony Brook University

Dr. Yizhi Meng received her PhD in 2003 from the Department of Food Science at Cornell University, where she studied rheological properties of semisolid biopolymers. Later, as a postdoctoral associate at the Cornell Nanobiotechnology Center, she developed a microfluidic device for examining a biofilm-forming plant bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa. From 2005 to 2009, she worked in the Biomedical Engineering department of Stony Brook University as a postdoctoral fellow and studied the differentiation and mineralization of murine osteoblasts on functionalized surfaces. In January 2009, she joined the faculty of Materials Science and Engineering at Stony Brook University. Her research interests include using micro- and nanofabrication methods to develop nature-inspired bioactive biomedical materials and high-resolution microscopy and spectroscopy techniques to examine cellular mechanics, adhesion, and motility of cancer cells.

Collection Overview

Although the survival rate of breast cancer patients has increased over the last 30 years, breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. Recent developments (such as tailored therapies and genetic sequencing) have led to success in treating certain breast cancers. However, current therapeutics still fall short in targeting metastatic breast cancer. Accounting for 90% of cancer patient deaths, metastasis is a multi-step coordinated process. Metastatic cells acquire the ability to degrade the basement membrane and surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM), intravasate into blood or lymph, and then extravasate after a period of time and set up a secondary colony. As 90% of cancer patient deaths are due to metastasis, novel therapeutics which selectively target and kill metastatic cells (while minimally damaging normal cells) are desperately needed. Traditional two-dimensional (2D) model systems do not accurately recapitulate in vivo conditions. Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture model systems, on the other hand, are well suited for studying cancer cell growth and invasion under physiological conditions. Therefore, new 3D in vitro models have recently emerged to better mimic the tumor microenvironment in vivo. In particular, 3D bioprinting technology has shown to be a versatile and reliable tool for generating breast tissue for tissue engineering and drug screening applications. The goal of this collection is to highlight several recent groups who have successfully used 3D bioprinting techniques to create mammary organoids and evaluate the efficacy of drug delivery systems.