ACCELERAT3D: Advanced 3D culture models to accelerate therapeutic discovery and development for brain cancer

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant primary brain tumor in adults, characterized by its high vascularity and a low survival rate, with many patients surviving less than one year. Treatment options remain limited, with only about five percent surviving beyond five years.

Most therapies fail during clinical trials due to imperfect pre-clinical models that hinder accurate predictions of efficacy and toxicity in humans. There is a need for precise therapeutic modeling of the GBM tumor microenvironment (TME), which includes integrated models of drug metabolism, the blood-brain barrier, and drug diffusion, as well as the tumor microbiome and chemical gradients in three-dimensional multicellular spheroid tumors.

This project is developing tools to accelerate drug discovery and development for GBM by providing standardized three-dimensional (3D) cell models that imitate the features of the TME. By using 3D printing, 3D cell culture, mixed cultures, microbiomes, and tumor stem cells, the research aims to address gaps in existing 3D cell culture systems.

The goal is to create complex, multifaceted 3D cell models that replicate the common TME in GBM. This initiative aims to accelerate the development of precise, effective, and personalized medicines, ultimately improving patient outcomes.