Researchers from the Tel Aviv University are testing the efficacy of potential treatments by using patients’ own brain cancer cells to make a 3D model of their tumors. The process includes the extraction of the tumor from a patient diagnosed with glioblastoma, one of the most common forms of brain cancer in adults known for its aggressiveness and hard to treat characteristics. The extraction is then used to print a model to match their MRI scans. To test if the potential treatment works before testing in the body, the patient’s blood is then pumped through the printed tumor, followed by the potential drug or therapeutic treatment. Previously, bioprinting has been tested to simulate cancer environments, but the Tel Aviv University researchers state they are the first to print a “viable” tumor.
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