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REVIEW article

Front. Hematol.
Sec. Hematopoiesis and Stem Cells
Volume 3 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/frhem.2024.1407698
This article is part of the Research Topic Editors' Showcase: Hematopoiesis and Stem Cells View all 6 articles

Are we ready to integrate 3D culture systems in acute myeloid leukemia and bone marrow microenvironment research?

Provisionally accepted
Azmeer Sharipol Azmeer Sharipol 1,2,3Benjamin J. Frisch Benjamin J. Frisch 1,2,3,4*
  • 1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States
  • 2 Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States
  • 3 Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States
  • 4 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most aggressive adult leukemia and results in a dismal 5-year survival rate of less than 30%. While research has primarily focused on identifying intrinsic mutations driving leukemogenesis, the role of the bone marrow microenvironment (BMME) in disease progression remains poorly understood. For this purpose, conventional 2D cultures inadequately replicate the complex BMME interactions crucial for the maintenance of normal hematopoiesis and leukemia pathogenesis. In recent years, 3D cultures or microphysiological systems (MPS) have emerged as promising tools for in vitro modeling of the human BMME. These approaches provide a promise for a more physiologically relevant platform for investigating the mechanistic underpinnings of AML interactions with BMME components, as well as exploring chemoresistance mechanisms and facilitating drug discovery efforts. This review discusses the considerations in biomaterials, biophysical, and biochemical factors to develop the BMME in vitro for AML studies, the state-of-the-art 3D models of the BMME, and the challenges and prospects of adopting MPS for AML research. At the end of this review, we explore the readiness of 3D platforms in AML biomedical research by considering specific context of use.

    Keywords: Acute Myeloid Leukemia, in vitro, Bone marrow microenvironment, Microphysiological systems, 3D culture, AML, MPS, BMME

    Received: 27 Mar 2024; Accepted: 02 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Sharipol and Frisch. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Benjamin J. Frisch, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, 14627, New York, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.