Microfluidics-based, micro-engineered tumors-on-chips have been recently used to mimic various tumor cell-extracellular matrix (ECM), tumor-stroma, and cell-drug interactions under controlled flow conditions. This seminar presents a gelatin-based bioink formulation for microengineering tumor microtissue via 3D bioprinting. The design and fabrication of a microtissue model via cell-laden gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) bioprinting are shown. It is shown how bioprinting parameters can regulate the ECM porosity. Solid tumor spheroids are then made and charactrized via engineering methods. The formation of rounded spheroids with high reproducibility and compactness is essential for creating a realistic tumor environment. It is shown that the bioink composition significantly influences cell invasive behavior and focal adhesion formation of the tumor spheroids. GelMA bioinks with a reduced hydrogel network promoted higher spheroid invasiveness and proliferation. The gelatin-based model can be used for a wide range of screening applications.
Dr. Amir K. Miri currently serves as the director of the Advanced Biofabrication Laboratory at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), and his research interests have been focused on developing biofabrication methods, microfluidic devices and organs-on-chips for modeling diseased conditions and tissue regeneration. He completed his PhD in soft tissue biomechanics (McGill University, 2013). During his postdoc training at Harvard-MIT Health Sciences & Technology (2015-2017), he pioneered the design of multi-material stereolithography and extrusion bioprinting platforms to fabricate microtissue models and organoids. He has continued this line of research in his independent research positions at Rowan University (2018-2021) and NJIT (2021-to date). His research on developing bioprinted models has been mainly funded by grants from the NIH and NSF. In addition, Dr. Miri has been involved in entrepreneurship activities through I-Corps programs and educational protocols for engineering classrooms within the past four years.