Preparation procedures of high-density human liver most cancers cell–encapsulated CMCTs/oHA injectable hydrogel and their in vivo utility. Credit score: Superior Composites and Hybrid Supplies (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s42114-025-01429-4
A analysis staff led by the School of Dentistry at The College of Hong Kong (HKU) has developed a novel vascularized tumor mannequin utilizing a non-surgical injectable hydrogel system. This modern method supplies a strong new platform for researching most cancers and testing immune cell therapies. The breakthrough has been printed in Superior Composites and Hybrid Supplies and represents a major development in modeling the complicated nature of tumors for oncology.
This examine has established a dependable mannequin utilizing a totally degradable, injectable, self-crosslinking hydrogel composed of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCTS) and oxidized hyaluronic acid (oHA) to encapsulate high-density tumor cells. The staff was led by Professor Sang Jin Lee, Assistant Professor in Biofunctional Supplies from the School of Dentistry, in collaboration with Professor Rio Ryohichi Sugimura, Assistant Professor from the College of Biomedical Sciences in LKS School of Medication at HKU.
This mannequin successfully helps the spontaneous formation of strong tumors with useful host-derived vasculature in mice. Not like typical inoculation strategies, this method exactly localizes tumor cells on the injection website, enabling the event of tumor clusters free from biomaterial residues, whereas fostering vascular networks that intently mimic the pure tumor microenvironment.
“The lack of reliable vascularized tumor models has long been a bottleneck in cancer research,” emphasised Prof. Lee. “Our platform not only faithfully recaptures the tumor microenvironment but, more importantly, provides a dependable tool for immune cell therapy research. This is particularly significant for advancing treatments for malignancies.”
The mannequin allows efficient supply and infiltration of immune cells. Researchers demonstrated that human macrophages injected by way of the tail vein efficiently homed in on and adhered to the tumor tissue created by the mannequin, showcasing its direct utility for creating and testing cell-based immunotherapies.
Professor Lee additional famous, “This model will serve as a vital conduit for the research and development of cell therapies to treat various cancers, such as oral cancer, in the near future, offering new possibilities for improving patient outcomes.”
The examine’s findings have profound implications for most cancers analysis, offering a novel method to modeling tumors and testing therapeutic methods. Professor Lee and his staff consider this platform will speed up the event of efficient immune cell therapies, in the end enhancing outcomes for most cancers sufferers in Hong Kong.
Extra info:
Ziqi Huang et al, Homogeneously cross-linked in situ hydrogel enclosing high-density human-cancer cells promotes vascularized in vivo tumor modeling for immune cell remedy, Superior Composites and Hybrid Supplies (2025). DOI: 10.1007/s42114-025-01429-4
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Researchers develop modern vascularized tumor mannequin to advance most cancers immunotherapy (2025, October 23)
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