Engineered tumor models for cancer biology and treatment

Tumor models are essential in cancer research and treatment to discover novel therapeutic targets and design personalized treatment strategies. A wide spectrum of tumor models has been developed ranging from cancer cell lines, spheroids/organoids, and small and large animal models. These models provide either the convenience of handling or relevance of mimicking human tumor microenvironment (TME). However, most of the currently available models are not capable of providing both. Recently the emergence of engineered tumor models based on microfluidics and tissue engineering technology may be able to address these challenges. In this chapter, we briefly review the complexities of the TME and discuss the development of tumor models to mimic the TME. Our discussion is focused on engineered tumor models based on microfluidics and tissue engineering, so-called tumor-microenvironment-on-a-chip, and related challenges and opportunities as also discussed.