3D in vitro cancer models using natural biomaterials for studying the cancer microenvironment and drug screening

Recreating the complexity of the tumor microenvironment is essential for advancing cancer research. Three-dimensional (3D) biomaterials offer a powerful platform for replicating the biological, chemical, and mechanical properties of native tissues, providing a more physiologically relevant alternative to traditional two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures. These models enable detailed investigation of tumor progression, invasion, and therapy resistance under controlled in vitro conditions. In our work, we focus on engineering natural biomaterials—such as hydrogels, scaffolds, nanofibers, and bioinks—to faithfully mimic the tumor microenvironment. These 3D systems support cancer cell adhesion, proliferation, and interaction with the surrounding matrix, allowing us to monitor disease dynamics and evaluate therapeutic responses more effectively. Among these materials, silk-based biomaterials stand out due to their mechanical robustness, tunable properties, and exceptional biocompatibility, making them especially promising for bridging the gap between in vitro models and clinical applications.

This presentation will outline current strategies for designing 3D biomaterials using natural polymers, including collagen, hyaluronic acid, alginate, and silk. Particular emphasis will be placed on silk-based scaffolds, which offer unique advantages for cancer modeling, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. By supporting more predictive and human-relevant cancer models, these 3D biomaterial platforms hold significant promise for improving drug discovery pipelines, reducing reliance on animal models, and aligning with long-term sustainability goals in biomedical research.

Professor Subhas C. Kundu is a Research Coordinator at I3Bs – Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables, and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Portugal, and previously held the European Research Area (ERA Chair) of the European Commission. His areas of interest include natural biomaterials for tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, 3D cancer modelling and drug screening. He has published only 284 full research articles. His citation is 31,533, and H-index is 85 (Google Scholar 27-06-25). Kundu received a PhD in Genetics from Banaras Hindu University, India and postdoctoral training at the Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow; Department of Biology, York University, Canada; Medical University, Lubeck, Germany; Department of Biology & Biochemistry, Brunel University, UK. He was a Full Professor at the Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India.