Bioreactors contribute significantly to cancer research by providing a platform to cultivate cancer cells and tissues under controlled conditions. This allows researchers to replicate the tumor microenvironment more accurately and study the interactions between cancer cells and their surroundings. Key applications include:
- 3D Cell Culture: Traditional 2D cell cultures fail to mimic the complex architecture of tumors. Bioreactors enable the cultivation of cancer cells in three dimensions (3D), better replicating the in vivo tumor environment. - Drug Screening and Testing: Bioreactors allow for high-throughput screening of anti-cancer drugs, offering a more predictive model for drug efficacy and toxicity compared to 2D cultures. - Personalized Medicine: By using patient-derived tumor cells, bioreactors can help in tailoring personalized treatment plans and predicting how an individual's cancer will respond to specific therapies.
