Tissue-engineered 3D tumor angiogenesis models: Potential technologies for anti-cancer drug discovery
Open accessAbstract
Angiogenesis is indispensable for solid tumor expansion, and thus it has become a major target of cancer research and anti-cancer therapies. Deciphering the arcane actions of various cell populations during tumor angiogenesis requires sophisticated research models, which could capture the dynamics and complexity of the process. There is a continuous need for improvement of existing research models, which engages interdisciplinary approaches of tissue engineering with life sciences. Tireless efforts to develop a new model to study tumor angiogenesis result in innovative solutions, which bring us one step closer to decipher the dubious nature of cancer. This review aims to overview the recent developments, current limitations and future challenges in three-dimensional tissue-engineered models for the study of tumor angiogenesis and for the purpose of elucidating novel targets aimed at anti-cancer drug discovery.
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Small tumors (less than ~1-2 mm3 in volume) are generally avascular and rely on diffusion from nearby vessels for oxygen and nutrients.
“Small tumors (less than ~1–2 mm3 in volume) are generally avascular and rely on diffusion from nearby vessels for oxygen and nutrients [48,49].”
From Modeling Tumor Microenvironment Complexity In Vitro: Spheroids as Physiologically Relevant Tumor Models and Strategies for Their Analysis (2025) · cites this paper as [49]
In vivo, dormancy is typically overcome through angiogenesis, during which newly formed blood vessels introduce shear forces that sustain endothelial sprouts and support the delivery of therapeutic agents.
“In vivo, this dormancy is typically overcome through angiogenesis, during which newly formed blood vessels introduce shear forces that sustain endothelial sprouts and support the delivery of therapeutic agents [49,222].”
From Modeling Tumor Microenvironment Complexity In Vitro: Spheroids as Physiologically Relevant Tumor Models and Strategies for Their Analysis (2025) · cites this paper as [49]
Microfluidic platforms have been developed that integrate spheroid cultures with controlled flow.
“microfluidic platforms have been developed that integrate spheroid cultures with controlled flow [49,223].”
From Modeling Tumor Microenvironment Complexity In Vitro: Spheroids as Physiologically Relevant Tumor Models and Strategies for Their Analysis (2025) · cites this paper as [49]
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Cites
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RGD AND OTHER RECOGNITION SEQUENCES FOR INTEGRINS
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“Conjugation of specific adhesion peptides such as the integrinbinding motif RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) gives an opportunity to adequately control cell adhesion and integrin activation [57] and allows for studying the role of specific ligands in the process of cancer vascularization.”
BackgroundMechanisms of normal and tumor-derived angiogenesis
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Emerging tumor spheroids technologies for 3D in vitro cancer modeling
Rodrigues, T., Kundu, B., Silva-Correia, J., Kundu, S. C., Oliveira, J. M., Reis, R. L., & Correlo, V. M. (2018) · Pharmacology & Therapeutics · doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2017.10.018 · Cited by 178 · see citing works
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“In vivo, this dormancy is typically overcome through angiogenesis, during which newly formed blood vessels introduce shear forces that sustain endothelial sprouts and support the delivery of therapeutic agents [49,222].”
Influential
- Authors
- Chwalek, K., Bray, L. J., & Werner, C.
- Affiliations
- Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Werner, Carsten
- Venue
- Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-12
- Volume
- 79-80
- Pages
- 30-39
- ISSN
- 0169-409X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2046011996
- Cited by
- 91
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 4
- FWCI
- 1.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- eprints.qut.edu.au
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- Locations
- Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- QUT ePrints (Queensland University of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Angiogenesis and VEGF in Cancer
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › 3D Printing in Biomedical Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
- Keywords
- tumor angiogenesis, 3D tumor models, anticancer drug discovery, angiogenesis inhibitors, solid tumor growth, cancer research models
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Antineoplastic Agents, Humans, Models, Biological, Neoplasms, Neovascularization, Pathologic, Drug Design, Tissue Engineering, Drug Discovery, Molecular Targeted Therapy
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