Vidmantas Šakalys, CEO of Vital3D, offers insights on the potential applications of the technology and key limitations that still need to be resolved.
Rising global cancer cases and diagnostic backlogs are increasing demand for more accurate and efficient research tools. User-friendly bio printed 3D scaffolds offer models that better replicate human tumour environments, supporting faster drug discovery and more personalised cancer treatments, though technical and practical challenges remain.
Since 1990, early-onset cancer diagnoses have increased by more than 79% among people under 50. The WHO also projects a rise from nearly 20 million new cancer diagnoses in 2022 to around 35 million yearly diagnoses by 2050.
Adding to these upward trends, disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a serious diagnostic backlog, including nearly one million missed cases in Europe alone. These figures highlight the importance of developing faster and more accurate tools for cancer research and treatment.
Scaffold-based 3D bioprinting is gaining attention in this context. Unlike traditional two-dimensional cell cultures, bio printed scaffolds offer tumour models that more closely replicate the way cancer behaves in the human body.
This allows researchers to study complex cell interactions and test therapies in structures that resemble actual patient tissues. While this technology holds promise, its adoption has so far been hindered due to the complex materials and workflows involved.
Development of accurate cancer models and personalised treatments
Laboratory cancer models are essential materials for developing effective cancer treatments. But traditional two-dimensional cell cultures do not fully capture the complex environment around tumours, so treatments tested this way often fail in clinical trials.
Bio printed scaffolds present a solution by arranging cells in three dimensions to better replicate how tumours behave and interact in the human body. The cell scaffolds act as a framework, allowing tumors and surrounding tissues to grow in more realistic shapes.
“Bio printed cancer models start with patient-derived cells seeded on three-dimensional scaffolds,” explains Vidmantas Šakalys, CEO of Vital3D Technologies.
“Unlike 2D cultures, these models make it possible to study cell-to-cell communication, how cancer spreads, and how tumours build resistance to treatments, all within an environment that looks and behaves more like human tissue. This allows researchers to spot weaknesses in specific cancer types and tailor therapeutic strategies.”
By using cells from a patient, scientists can build personalised tumour models for laboratory study. This approach supports the shift toward more individual approaches to cancer care.
“With patient-specific models, it becomes possible to test a range of therapies before choosing a treatment for each person,” Šakalys adds. “The level of predictive accuracy we can reach with bioprinting supports better-informed and more successful clinical decisions.”
Accelerating drug discovery and testing
Practical, scalable access to bio printed scaffolds can also streamline the early stages of drug research. By reflecting the actual tumour environment, such models enable more reliable assessment of new therapies in preclinical trials. This has meaningful implications for both efficiency and success in identifying promising cancer treatments.
“Bio printed cancer models can provide a platform for testing the efficacy and toxicity of new drugs in a more physiologically relevant setting compared to traditional 2D cell cultures,” explains Šakalys.
“By incorporating cancer cells, stromal cells, and immune cells derived from a specific patient, bioprinting makes it possible to recreate a personalised tumour microenvironment. These models replicate not just the structure of a tumour, but also its cell-to-cell interactions, offering a more accurate platform for studying treatment responses.”
Where animal models or older culture techniques have limitations, bio printed scaffolds enable high throughput testing that can yield earlier, more predictive insights. Shortening drug development timelines, reducing the risk of late-stage failure, and enabling higher-precision methods for evaluation could benefit the whole sector, from scientists and pharmaceutical firms to patients and healthcare providers.
Addressing persistent barriers in cancer research
Even as bio printed scaffold systems improve, certain technical and practical limitations remain. “Reliable vascularisation, standardisation of protocols, and access to viable patient-derived cells are key challenges that have slowed wider adoption of these models so far,” says Šakalys.
“It is necessary to have consensus on material choices and lab workflows to ensure as much reliability and reproducibility as possible, since complex models can produce varying results from one laboratory to the next.”
Continued advances are expected, however, particularly in the areas of bioink development, high‑resolution scaffolding production, and integration with AI and microfluidic systems.
Making scaffold‑based solutions more straightforward and more reproducible will bring immediate benefits to cancer research, enabling broader sharing of preclinical results and ensuring that new knowledge and treatments reach those with the most urgent need.
