Page 39 - IJB-10-5

International

Journal of Bioprinting

REVIEW ARTICLE
Bioprinting of tumor immune microenvironment

for immunotherapy

Sein Kim , Seokgyu Han , Jaehyun Lee , Chanyang Lee , and Sungsu Park *
3
1†
2†
2
1,2 id
1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Cross-disciplinary Studies (ICS),
Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, Republic of Korea
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan
University (SKKU), Suwon, Republic of Korea
3
Department of Bio-Integrated Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, Sejong University,
Seoul, Republic of Korea
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advances in Bioprinting and Organ-on-a-chip and Applications for
Precision Medicine)
Abstract
Accurately simulating the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), which consists
of a tumor, extracellular matrix (ECM), vascular network, and a variety of stromal
and immune cells, is crucial for advancing and testing immunotherapies such
as checkpoint inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cells, and cancer
vaccines. Traditional models, such as animal models, are limited by their differences
from human immune environments. Bioprinting addresses these limitations by
incorporating tumors, immune cells, and vascular cells within an ECM, thereby
reflecting the complex interactions, including trafficking, between cancer and
† These authors contributed equally immune cells. These models provide better predictive accuracy for human immune
to this work.
responses, reducing translational failures and improving preclinical testing. While
*Corresponding author: bioprinting methods for simulating the tumor microenvironment, where cancer cells
Sungsu Park
(nanopark@skku.edu) form spheroids surrounded by blood vessels, are well reviewed, bioprinting methods
for recapitulating the TIME are not as thoroughly explored. This review aims to fill
Citation: Kim S, Han S, Lee J, this gap by exploring the development, application, and potential of bioprinted TIME
Lee C, Park S. Bioprinting of
tumor immune microenvironment models in enhancing the study and efficacy of immunotherapies, ultimately offering
for immunotherapy. a more realistic and personalized approach to cancer treatment.
Int J Bioprint. 2024;10(5):3988.
doi: 10.36922/ijb.3988
Received: June 19, 2024 Keywords: Tumor; Immune microenvironment; Bioprinting; Immunotherapy;
Revised: August 7, 2024 Efficacy
Accepted: August 13, 2024
Published Online: August 15, 2024
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an Open Access article 1. Introduction
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution With the rise in novel tumor immunotherapies, such as checkpoint inhibitors,
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T, and cancer vaccines, the importance of accurately
provided the original work is simulating the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) has increased. Simulating
properly cited. the TIME is crucial as it provides insights into the complex interactions between the
Publisher’s Note: AccScience immune system and tumor cells. This understanding aids in predicting how tumors
Publishing remains neutral with evade immune detection and respond to various immunotherapies. It also facilitates
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional the development and optimization of these therapies, enhancing their efficacy and
affiliations. safety, and ultimately leading to more personalized and effective treatment options

Volume 10 Issue 5 (2024) 31 doi: 10.36922/ijb.3988