RESEARCHERS PRINT 3D BRAIN TUMOUR

New York, March 8: Researchers have 3D printed a complex brain tumour to closely model what happens inside the fast-growing tissue, an advance that may lead to better ways of testing and developing drugs against the malignant disease.

The scientists, including those from Northeastern University in the US, explained that glioblastomas are complex, fast-growing malignant brain tumours which are made up of various types of cells.

They said even with aggressive treatment, which often includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, glioblastomas are difficult to treat, leading to an average survival of 11-15 months.

The study, published in Science Advances, describes a methodology that combines the 3D printing and imaging of glioblastoma cells in a costeffective way to more closely model what happens inside the human body.

“There is a need to understand the biology and the complexity of the glioblastoma,” said study co-author Xavier Intes from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

“What's known is that glioblastomas are very complex in terms of their makeup, and this can differ from patient to patient,” Intes said.

In the study, the researchers made bio-inks out of patientderived tumour cells, and printed them along with blood vessels.

They said the blood vessel network in these cells allowed the printed tissue to live and mature, enabling researchers to study it over a matter of months.