Speaker: Subhash C. Kundu, 3Bs Research Group, I3Bs – University of Minho, Portugal
Title: 3D In Vitro Cancer Models Using Natural Biomaterials for Studying the Tumor Microenvironment and Drug Screening
Excited to highlight groundbreaking work on 3D in vitro cancer models and how natural biomaterials are reshaping cancer research.
Traditional 2D cultures fall short in replicating the complexity of tumors, but 3D biomaterials—hydrogels, scaffolds, nanofibers, and bioinks—bring us closer to true physiological relevance.
🔬 Key themes from the research:
• Recreating realistic tumor microenvironments
• Studying cancer progression, invasion & drug resistance
• Using natural polymers like collagen, hyaluronic acid, alginate & silk
• Unique advantages of silk-based biomaterials: strong, tunable, biocompatible
• Enhancing predictive drug screening & reducing dependence on animal models
This work represents an important step toward more accurate cancer models, improved therapeutic evaluation, and sustainable biomedical innovation.
