Biomimicking of the Breast Tumor Microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment is well known to play a role in sustaining malignant transformation of tissue, tumor progression, and in drug responsiveness; however, much remains unclear about the interplay between tumor cells, the extracellular matrix, and stroma cells. The extracellular matrix has been shown to elicit both biochemical and biophysical signaling, and matrix rigidity is an important microenvironmental parameter in the regulation of cellular behavior. Thus, tissue engineering and the development of novel biomaterials that mimic mechanical and topological properties of tumor stroma and can cope with the effect of mechanical forces are promising approaches to study this interplay. New in vitro tools to investigate the effect of mechanical signals on breast cancer cell aggressiveness and drug sensitivity include genipin-crosslinked gelatin hydrogel scaffolds with adjustable degrees of stiffness.