APPLICATIONS OF BIOPRINTING IN CANCER RESEARCH

--Three dimensional bioprinting is an emerging development in the medical industry with huge potential benefits in the cancer research field. Bioprinting holds many advantages over the traditional methods of fabricating cells and tissue. With the use of 3D bioprinting, scientists and engineers can create three dimensional models made from hydrogels, bioinks, and living cells to model the expansion, progression, and other characteristics of different types of cancer. Stereolithography is a common method of bioprinting. This technique uses a laser to harden heatsensitive plastic or hydrogel into pre-programmed shapes, which are created using any 3D modeling software. Stereolithography has many important applications, including the creation of three-dimensional models of tissue for use in cancer research. In order to print an accurate model of human tissue, real tissue is scanned by an X-ray, MRI, or other medical device. This scan can be modeled and edited on a computer. Once this base structure is created, researchers can seed it with different types of cells to simulate different cellular environments, like different types or stages of cancer, and run various trials in a setting more realistic than older methods of cancer modeling. Although treatments for cancer have yet to be optimized, the evolution of bioprinting is leading towards a better solution. By providing better, more accurate models of cellular environments, bioprinting allows scientists to test and develop new ways of preventing, slowing, and eliminating cancer cells. This research can revolutionize the field of medicine and improve the quality of life, ease of treatment, and survival rate of cancer patients around the world. Key words---Biomaterials, Bioprinting, Cancer treatment, Cell environments, Stereolithography CANCER: THE PRESSING ISSUE With cancer evolving into the prevalent disease it is today, a cure, or even just a way to stop the expansion, is becoming more necessary. In 2014, over 14 million people around the world had been diagnosed with cancer [1]; in 2018, that number grew to a staggering 18 million [2]. Not only are people being diagnosed at a record pace, but the mortality rate is also at an all-time high. In 2018, over 9 million people died from cancer [2]. Between 2012 and 2018, the number of new cases of cancer rose 28.2%, while the deaths rose by 16.5% during that same time frame [2]. While the number of instances grew over 4 million, the number of deaths increased by only 800 thousand. The slight growth of the death toll, compared to the large increase in victims, could potentially be linked to the decrease in the popularity of smoking, the leading cause of cancer and cancer-related deaths [2]. Unsure if the minimal increase of deaths (compared to the number of new diagnoses) is the direct impact of improved knowledge, engineers are developing new technologies, such as 3dimensional bioprinting, to research the deadly combatant. Under current research techniques, cancer treatment options have the lowest success rate among the world’s largest diseases [3]. A new method of research, called bioprinting, is on the upswing. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a process of constructing functioning models of organs, tissues or cell environments for the uses of research and potentially eventual transplantation [4]. 3D bioprinting allows for scientists to examine live, accurate models of cancer cells. Through their examinations, they can test and develop new ways of slowing down the progression or even eliminating the disease. With this advanced technology entering the cancer research market, medical experts are optimistic that the estimate of new diagnoses in 2030 will be lower than they were in 2018. The Issue of Sustainability All medical technologies and innovations, to be practical and useful, should strive to be sustainable. Sustainability in the medical field has several distinctions from sustainability for other fields, such as energy production. The National Institute of Health, in their mission, state that their goal is to use medical knowledge to “enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability” [5]. This definition of sustainability does not simply mean that