Key points from article :
Scientists extract a chunk of the tumour from the brain of a glioblastoma patient and use it to print a model matching their MRI scans, said Ronit Satchi-Fainaro, lead researcher.
Used to test the efficacy of potential treatments before using them for real inside the body.
Patient’s blood is pumped through the printed tumour, followed by a drug or therapeutic treatment.
Researchers say they are the first to print a viable tumour.
“We have about two weeks [to] test all the therapies..., and get back with which treatment is predicted to be the best fit,” - Satchi-Fainaro.
A treatment is deemed promising if the printed tumour shrinks or if it lowers metabolic activity against control groups.
More recent innovations have focused on bioprinting, which uses live cells as a sort of ink to build up the layers.
Study by Tel Aviv University published in the journal Science Advances.
