3D-printed kidney tumors show potential for more targeted treatment

Scientists at Tsinghua University have developed a method to grow kidney tumours in the lab using cells from real patients, offering a potential new tool in the fight against renal cancer. Their research, published in the journal Biofabrication, outlines how 3D bioprinting technology can be used to replicate the unique characteristics of each patient’s tumour.

The team combined tumour cells with other cell types, including blood vessel-like structures, to mimic the environment within the body. The lab-grown tumours, called organoids, are created from real patients’ tumour cells, and exactly mimic their traits. This realistic model provides a more accurate platform for studying tumour development and testing how different therapies perform. The technology also reduces the need for labour-intensive manual processes, enabling faster and more scalable testing.

The incidence rate of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is increasing annually, posing a serious threat to human health.  One of the main challenges in treatment is that many patients don’t respond well to chemotherapy, and targeted drugs work differently for each person. Tumours vary significantly, and genetic changes over time can lead to treatment failure, drug resistance, and higher chances of recurrence. Current lab models are often inconsistent and don’t accurately reflect how tumours behave in the body, making it difficult to test realistic treatment options.

The new 3D bioprinting approach overcomes these limitations by producing organoids that retain the same features as the original tumours. This allows researchers to test multiple therapies quickly and identify the most effective options before applying them in the clinic.

“This new method could greatly improve how we study kidney cancer and develop personalised treatments for patients,” says Dr. Yuan Pang, co-author of the study. “The rapid production of organoids will make it much faster to find the right treatment for individual patients.”

ENDS

About Biofabrication

Biofabrication is a hybrid open-access journal published by society publisher IOP Publishing, the publishing arm of the Institute of Physics. It focuses on cutting-edge research regarding the use of cells, proteins, biological materials and biomaterials as building blocks to manufacture biological systems and/or therapeutic products. It is also the official journal of the International Society for Biofabrication (ISBF).

About the authors

Yuan Pang is current an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, and the visiting researcher in the Department of Chemical System Engineering, University of Tokyo. Her research interests focus on developing new methods, technologies and explore new applications in the field of biomanufacturing and 3D bioprinting. 

She now serves as the Board of Directors of The Asian Federation of the Societies for Alternatives in Animal Experiments (AFSAAE), committee member of Chinese Society of Toxicity Testing and Alternatives, and the committee member of Micro/Nano Manufacturing Branch of the Chinese Society of Mechanical Engineering. She is also the Bio-Design and Manufacturing Associate/Academic Editors, International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing Youth Editor, Biomedical Materials Executive Editorial Board.

Jianzhong Shou, MD, is the Professor at the Department of Urology, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. He has long been dedicated to the clinical care and research of urologic and male genital malignancies, with particular expertise in the precise diagnosis and treatment of complex kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers.

He currently serves as Chair of the Urogenital Tumors Committee of the Beijing Anti-Cancer Association, Vice Chair of the Integrative Nephrologic Oncology Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association, Executive Member of the Urologic Oncology Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association. He also participated in drafting the Renal Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines issued by the Chinese Urological Association (CUA) and the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO), and serves as Executive Editorial Board Member of the Chinese Journal of Urology.