About this Research Topic
Tissues are three-dimensional (3D) entities as is the cancer that arises within them. In vitro 3D models of specific types of malignancies provide more meaningful test results when compared to classical monolayer cultured cells, thus 3D models used in cancer research are poised to contribute to molecular studies of the early stages of metastasis, angiogenesis, the tumor microenvironment, and cancer stem cells. This topic addresses the latest advances in 3D models of cancer and their contribution to our understanding of novel cancer mechanisms such as tumor dormancy, adaptive immunity, and mechano-transduction. In recent years a new micro-environmental layer of interactions, the cancer microbiome, has added complexity to our understanding of the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, there is a strong move in the clinical field towards personalized medicine, which in the context of 3D models means putting patient’s cells to work; however standardization of 3D models for meaningful preclinical and therapeutic testing remains an important challenge in the field. In order to summarize the current state of this field, we encourage experts to submit manuscripts describing original data, the latest methodologies, expert opinions, commentaries and reviews.
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