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Biomaterials Congress 2019 Materials Science and Nanotechnology | Volume 3
Page 16
June 19-20, 2019 | Dublin, Ireland
BIOMATERIALS,
CELLULAR AND TISSUE ENGINEERING
3rd International Conference on
OF EXCELLENCE
IN INTERNATIONAL
MEETINGS
YEARS
TUMOUR 3D IN VITRO MODELS: ADVANTAGES
OF BIOENGINEERING FOR THE RECAPITULATION
OF EARLY STAGES OF TUMOUR DEVELOPMENT
AND CHEMOTHERAPIES DELIVERY
In vitro models are useful tools for understanding many pathophysiological
states, as well as being used for testing drug delivery and efficacy. Tradi-
tionally they are depicted as a monolayer of a single cell type, however in
vitro models should better mimic the complex biological scenario-which is
not flat (2D), but intricate and dynamic (3D, different cell types and dynam-
ic). To better predict the efficacy of therapies it is necessary to re-think drug
testing towards more relevant models. The combination of biomaterials in
3D structures, the control of biomaterials properties and their perfusion in a
dynamic cell culture system is hence essential. Tissue engineering approach-
es and biomaterials can be used to better model tumours and their micro-
environment in vitro. This can enable more precision to unravel molecular
mechanisms and identify basic biological findings as well as better predict
drug delivery mechanism and efficacy. The use of more relevant systems will
help to bridge the gap between in vitro/ in vivo models and help to translate
findings. Insights on the design and characterization of biomaterials tomimic
the tumour microenvironment and its dynamic will be discussed. Examples
of engineering approaches to fabricate tumour models at early stages will be
discussed, comparing expression of relevant biomarkers between tradition-
al and engineered in vitro models. Final case study will describe the use of
nanoparticles for target delivery; and differences between traditional and en-
gineeredmodels will be discussed. The importance of using biomaterials and
tissue engineering approaches to better predict chemotherapeutics delivery
will be discussed, evidencing how engineered in vitro models can be used to
speed up the pre-clinical phase in the testing of medicines.
Annalisa Tirella, Mater Sci Nanotechnol 2019, Volume 3
Annalisa Tirella received her PhD in Materials for
Environment and Energy from the University of
Roma II developing a 3D printing system for cells
and hydrogels. As Research Fellow, her research
developed on engineering physiological in vitro
systems using biomaterials with mechanical and
physico-chemical properties similar to human
tissues. She joined the University of Manchester
within the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry
as a Lecturer in 2014. Her research group works
at the interface with multiple disciplines, with
the main research areas being: manufacturing
of nano/micro-technologies for drug delivery
and design of (bio) engineered in vitro 3D mod-
els. She established a solid network of academic/
industrial collaborations and she recently joined
the North-West Centre for Advanced Drug Deliv-
ery. Through her career, she has made significant
contributions to the advancement of hydrogel
manufacturing and their physical characteriza-
tion, as well as use of colloidal nanoparticles for
targeted drug delivery (>25 research papers with
>350 citations).
Annalisa Tirella
The University of Manchester, United Kingdom
BIOGRAPHY