3D printing offers hope for cancer patients
Pioneering research at Waikato University could eventually lead to cancer tumours being treated outside patients’ bodies.
Masters student Shalini Guleria is about to start using commercially available cancer cells to create three dimensional models of breast cancer tumours.
The 3D models will be created using the university’s bioprinter.
Guleria is currently growing the cancer cells, known as MCF-7.
The cells originate from a 69-year-old nun who died in 1970.
Her cells have been used extensively in breast cancer research.
Guleria hopes her studies could lead to more effective treatments for women with breast cancer.
To date she’s created 3D models of small breasts using plastic.
Soon she’ll move to using cancer cells mixed with a binding material like hydrogel.
‘‘Currently the easiest way to do pharmaceutical tests on cancer cells is using 2D models which is basically a petri dish where the cells stick to the bottom of the dish and you analyse them.
‘‘But humans are three dimensional and 2D doesn’t really present an actual human tumour,’’ Guleria said.
‘‘With a 3D bioprinter, we can give cells a 3D environment and analyse how the cells interact with each other.
‘‘Once we get the tumours made, we can slice them into sections and use a confocal microscope to study them.’’
Guleria’s research will study how fast cancer cells grow in a 3D model compared to a 2D model.
‘‘In the future what could happen is if someone has breast cancer, we could take their tumour cells and print out a tumour and try out different drugs on it and see which treatments work and what works best for the patient. It’s all about making treatment more patient specific.’’
Guleria is studying for a Master of Science with a focus on tissue engineering. She balances her studies with a 30-hours-a-week job at the Wallace Corporation.
Guleria’s interest in cancer research dates back to when she was at high school and a close friend was diagnosed with leukemia.
‘‘She was only 17 and passed away a year after her diagnosis.
‘‘I was always interested in medical science but when that happened it really hit me and to grieve I went crazy into cancer research.’’