Bioreactor that reproduces tumors in the laboratory is ready

It allows us to reproduce in the laboratory , in a very realistic way, not only tumors , but their vascular system and the way they interact with immune cells : it is the bioreactor developed thanks to the international study published in the journal Biomaterials and led by Italy, with the Sapienza University of Rome. The Institute of Biomedical Technologies and the Institute of the Structure of Matter of the National Research Council, the two Foundations of Milan Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore and the National Institute of Molecular Genetics 'Romeo and Enrica Invernizzi', and the Universities of Rome Tor Vergata and Genoa participated.

The applications of the device , called sVeb (from 'small Vessel Environment Bioreactor'), are still in their initial stages , but the results pave the way for more effective and personalized therapies for each patient. The device, in fact, uses cells taken from patients and integrates various technologies such as 3D printing : this allows for testing treatments in a context much more similar to the real one compared to traditional systems and organs on chips, that is, three-dimensional models of organs obtained in the laboratory.

“The bioreactor allows us to observe how a tumor interacts with blood vessels and how it responds to the arrival of immune cells, all in dynamic and controlled conditions , similar to those present in the human body,” says Roberto Rizzi of Sapienza, who coordinated the research. “The possibility of integrating cells derived from specific patients makes it a promising tool for personalized medicine,” adds Francesca Megiorni of the same university, co-author of the study, “allowing us to develop treatments based on the individual characteristics of the patient.”