ArticleMaterials today. Bio2026
Development of a 3D-bioprinted tumour-on-chip with tunable hydrogel properties for monitoring colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion.
Article in Materials today. Bio, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms governing cancer cell migration is essential for elucidating the early events of colorectal cancer metastasis. Here, we report the development of a light-tunable three-dimensional (3D) bioprinted tumour-on-chip platform for monitoring the migration of colorectal cancer cells under biomimetic microenvironmental conditions. The platform integrates digital light processing (DLP)-based 3D bioprinting with microfluidic technology to recreate structural and mechanical features of the colorectal tumour microenvironment. A hybrid bioink composed of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), Matrigel, and type I collagen was formulated to balance DLP printability with biologically relevant extracellular matrix components. Multi-compartment tumour constructs were fabricated with HCT116 colorectal cancer cells spatially confined within a central tumour region, while human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were incorporated into surrounding compartments under co-culture conditions. By modulating the projected light intensity, constructs with tunable properties were generated to investigate the influence of matrix mechanics and transport on cancer cell behaviour. Comparison of Day 1 and Day 4 fluorescence images revealed outward redistribution of the HCT116-positive signal beyond the initially printed tumour core, consistent with colorectal cancer cell migration. The extent of this redistribution was influenced by the light-defined matrix properties and the presence of the neighbouring HUVEC-containing co-culture compartment, highlighting the combined role of physicochemical and cellular cues in regulating tumour cell behaviour. The system also establishes a foundation for future studies of tumour invasion, endothelial barrier interactions, and therapeutic screening under controlled perfusion conditions, supporting the advancement of personalized cancer models and anti-metastatic drug development.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.