Conn Hastings Genetics, Materials, Medicine, Oncology Researchers at Purdue University and the University of Michigan have developed a device they call a 3D jet writer, which can print high-resolution polymer microtissues on a small scale, with appropriate pore sizes to allow cancer cell infiltration. The researchers hope that the printed tissues will allow them to study cancer metastasis and conduct drug screens to find new compounds that prevent metastasis.
Numerous research groups have experimented with 3D printing to produce tissue-mimetic materials, with a view to studying cancer growth and metastasis. However, many of these tissue-mimetic materials have been limited, in part because they don’t have the correct porosity to encourage sufficient cancer cell growth and survival. “We need a much finer resolution than what a 3D printer can create,” said Luis Solorio, a researcher involved in the study. To address this, the research team has developed a new technique, which they call 3D writing.
Read more: 3D Jet Writing Creates Highly Porous Polymer Microtissue for Drug Screening
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