Decellularized extracellular matrix-based bioengineered 3D Breast cancer scaffolds for personalized therapy and drug screening

Abstract

Breast cancer is the second deadliest cancer after lung cancer. Like all cancers, breast cancer is also driven by a 3-D microenvironment. ECM is an essential component of the 3-D tumor micro-environment, wherein it functions as a scaffold for cells and provides metabolic support. Breast cancer is characterized by alteration in the ECM. Various studies have tried mimicking the breast cancer ECM using artificial materials like matrigels. Still, research has proven that naturally derived dECM stand far superior in providing the essential in-vivo-like cues needed for mimicking a cancer-like environment. Developing in-vitro 3-D breast cancer models is not straightforward and requires extensive analysis of established data by a researcher. For the benefit of the researchers in this review it has been tried to highlight all the developmental studies that various scientists have done so far. Analysis of the conclusions drawn from the studies will also be discussed. The advantages and drawbacks of decellularization methods employed for generating breast cancer scaffolds will be covered, and the review will shed light on how dECM scaffolds help develop a breast cancer environment. The later stages of the article will also focus on the immunogenicity issues arising due to decellularization and the origin of tissue. Finally, the review will also discuss the biofabrication of matrices, which is the core part of the bioengineering process.