Biomaterial-based platforms for tumour tissue engineering

Tissue engineering has produced innovative tools for cancer research. 3D cancer models based on molecularly designed biomaterials aim to harness the dimensionality and biomechanical and biochemical properties of tumour tissues. However, to date, despite the critical role that the extracellular matrix plays in cancer, only a minority of 3D cancer models are built on biomaterial-based matrices. Major reasons for avoiding this critical design feature are the difficulty in recreating the inherent complexity of the tumour microenvironment and the limited availability of practical analytical and validation techniques. Recent advances emerging at the interface of supramolecular chemistry, materials science and tumour biology are generating new approaches to overcome these boundaries and enable the design of physiologically relevant 3D models. Here, we discuss how these 3D systems are applied to deconstruct and engineer the tumour microenvironment, opening opportunities to model primary tumours, metastasis and responses to anticancer treatment. Biology can help to design materials and approaches for tumour tissue engineering. Biomaterials are a requisite for modelling cancer to rebuild tissue organization, composition and function. This Review discusses bioengineering strategies that recreate the pathophysiology of tumour tissues to address questions in cancer research.