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high-throughput drug screening, thereby facilitating personalized medicine and

improving the prediction of optimal therapeutic regimens.

Beyond conventional applications, this combined approach has unlocked unique

capabilities in specialized tumor research. For instance, in microgravity biology, 3D-

printed microfluidic systems overcome critical limitations of traditional culture flasks

and plates—such as medium leakage and bubble formation—while offering superior

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biocompatibility and experimental control. Leveraging this advantage, Silvani et al.
employed such a platform to subject glioblastoma (GBM) and endothelial cells to

simulated microgravity for 24 hours, enabling mechanistic investigation of cellular

adaptation and mechanical signaling pathways in response to altered gravitational

forces.

4. Applications in Drug Screening and Therapeutic Development

Preclinical development of cancer therapies typically involves testing potential

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anticancer drugs in tumor cell cultures . The lack of suitable models hinders therapeutic
strategy development. Researchers have developed diverse in vitro cancer models—

Transwell-based 2D platforms, 3D organoids, hybrid platforms, and microfluidic

systems—to simulate tumor tissue and serve as drug research platforms 75–78 . As

understanding of cancer biology deepens and microtechnologies advance, microfluidic

technology is increasingly utilized in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

Its inherent advantages—minimal sample volume, high sensitivity, rapid processing—

overcome limitations of traditional tumor cultures lacking dynamic conditions, tissue-

tissue interfaces, organ-level structures, and fluid flow 79,80 . These advancements

overcome critical limitations of conventional models while positioning microfluidics at
the forefront of cancer diagnostics and therapeutic development.

The comparative advantages and disadvantages of leading technologies—PDMS

microfluidics versus 3D bioprinting—for tumor therapy applications are systematically

evaluated in Table 4, highlighting their distinct application strategies, drug testing

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