Yu Wang, MD |Peking Union Medical College Hospital; Huayu Yang, PhD; Yilei Mao, MD; Wenbin Ma, MD; Jiangang Zhang, MD; Huiyu Yang, MD; Ying Shan, MD; Ying Jin, MD; Jiaming Wu, MD; Hao Xing, MD; Yuekun Wang, MD
Competition Sponsor: Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Awardee Year: 2024
Malignant tumors have become the leading cause of death in China. The incidence of cancer in China has followed an increasing trend due to population aging. Currently, the systematic treatment of malignant tumors still greatly relies on the empirical choices of physicians. With the significant interpatient heterogeneity of tumors, determining the appropriate treatment plan for each individual remains a major challenge in the field of cancer systemic therapy. Our team propose using 3D bioprinting to construct patient tumor-derived avatars (PTA) with semi-automated drug sensitivity testing to achieve personalized medication. Compared to competitors on the market, 3D bioprinted tumor models are currently the only in vitro modeling technology that can provide drug sensitivity results before clinical medication. This technology offers advantages such as short turnaround time, high modeling success rate, good fidelity, and low cost. Since the research team first constructed the world’s first primary hepatocellular carcinoma 3D bioprinted model in 2020, we have now successfully established 3D-PTA in more than 10 cancer types, with success rate of more than 95% in model construction and standardized procedures for drug sensitivity testing. This project is expected to reduce ineffective medical expenditures and ultimately rewrite medical guidelines, achieving both social impact and health economic benefits, thereby propelling China’s precision oncology practice into a new era.