Abstract 197: Novel 3D bioprinted pancreatic tumor models for anti-cancer drug assessment

The advent of bioprinting as a technology has greatly advanced the field of tissue engineering. Currently, it is being explored as a means to create complex disease models, specifically to create 3D tissue environments. Such complex models allow incorporation of dynamic microenvironments during in vitro studies. In terms of cancer drug development, the tumor microenvironment plays a significant role in cancer progression. The use of conventional 2D models in the preliminary stages of anti-cancer screening reduces the probability of successful translation towards clinical trials. In the current study, we have utilized bioprinting to create pancreatic tumor model which specifically mimics the human pancreatic tissue in terms of the biological and chemical makeup. We developed and optimized a novel bioink to create the tumor tissue. The bioink specifically mimics the pancreatic tumor microenvironment making it unique and novel as compared to the currently used bioinks which are mainly derived from animal tissues. The bioprinted tumors were then characterized for various important hallmarks of cancer such as tissue stiffness, hypoxia, and immunomodulation. We also analyzed the expression of various oncoproteins in comparison to 2D cultures to explore the role of 3D microenvironments on cancer cells. Additionally, we evaluated the efficacy of standard chemotherapies, radiotherapy and immunotherapy on the tumors as compared to 2D monolayer cultures. The bioprinted pancreatic tumors serve as a bridge between conventional assays and animal models. We observed a stark difference in the characteristics of cancer cells in monolayer cultures versus bioprinted tumors. Since a bioprinter can be programmed to control the geometry of the tissue, these models serve as the most accurate means to mimic the in vivo tumor microenvironment. Citation Format: Shreyas Ramchandra Gaikwad, Sanjay K. Srivastava. Novel 3D bioprinted pancreatic tumor models for anti-cancer drug assessment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 197.