Researchers Create Unique Bioengineered Organoids for Modeling Colorectal Cancer

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - Dec. 5, 2017 - PRLog -- A new study describes a unique bioengineered tissue construct, or organoid, into which colorectal cancer cells are embedded, creating a model of the tumor and surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). Researchers can use this model to study how the physical features of the ECM affect the behavior, growth, and even susceptibility to chemotherapy, as described in an article published in Tissue Engineering, Part A, peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com/). The article is available free on the Tissue Engineering (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/ten.tea.2017.0397) website until January 5, 2018.

This article is the winner of the 2017 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Outstanding Student Award, which will be presented at the TERMIS Americas meeting on December 6th to coauthor Mahesh Devarasetty, PhD, Wake Forest School of Medicine.

In the article entitled "Bioengineered Submucosal Organoids for in vitro Modeling of Colorectal Cancer (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/ten.tea.201...),"

coauthors Devarasetty, Shay Soker, PhD and colleagues from Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, report on the method they developed to produce the submucosal organoids using primary smooth muscle cells embedded in collagen hydrogel. This approach yielded a tumor ECM with aligned and parallel fibers, creating a topography around the tumor similar to what is seen in tumors in the body. The authors propose that in the future these organoids could be made using a patient's own cells for personalized medicine applications.

"Our increasing understanding of tumor architecture is guiding the development of tumor extracellular matrix 'mimics' that better reflect the tumor microenvironment and thereby create more realistic systems for assessing tumor cell behavior in response to treatment," says Tissue EngineeringCo-Editor-in-Chief Peter C. Johnson, MD, Principal, MedSurgPI, LLC and President and CEO, Scintellix, LLC, Raleigh, NC.

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers R01CA180149, R33CA202822, and P30CA012197. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

About the Journal
Tissue Engineering (http://www.liebertpub.com/ten) is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly online and in print in three parts: Part A, the flagship journal published 24 times per year; Part B: Reviews, published bimonthly, and Part C: Methods, published 12 times per year. Led by Co-Editors-In-Chief Antonios G. Mikos, PhD, Louis Calder Professor at Rice University, Houston, TX, and Peter C. Johnson, MD, Principal, MedSurgPI, LLC and President and CEO, Scintellix, LLC, Raleigh, NC, the Journal brings together scientific and medical experts in the fields of biomedical engineering, material science, molecular and cellular biology, and genetic engineering. Leadership of Tissue Engineering Parts B (Reviews) and Part C (Methods) is provided by John P. Fisher, PhD, University of Maryland and John A. Jansen, DDS, PhD, Radboud University, respectively. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed online at the Tissue Engineering (http://www.liebertpub.com/ten) website. Tissue Engineering is the official journal of the Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS). Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Tissue Engineering (http://www.liebertpub.com/ten) website.

About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com/) is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Stem Cells and Development, Human Gene Therapy, and Advances in Wound Care. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (http://www.genengnews.com/)), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com/) website.