The complexity of metastasis has historically been difficult to model owing, in part, to the limited ability of animal models to recapitulate human cancer and the scarcity of clinical samples. To address these challenges, Chramiec, Baldassarri, Öztürk et al. developed a bioengineered platform that captures key steps of metastatic dissemination, including circulating tumour cell extravasation, niche remodelling and transcriptional adaptation to the local microenvironment, within a single experimental framework.
Engineered bone was generated by seeding decellularized bone scaffolds with mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) and CD14+ monocytes, followed by their differentiation into osteoblasts and osteoclasts, respectively. Engineered lung tissue was produced by seeding extracellular matrix (ECM)-coated porous membranes with human bronchial epithelial cells and inducing differentiation at an air–liquid interface, resulting in a pseudostratified epithelium. Functional analyses confirmed active bone remodelling and maintenance of epithelial barrier function, demonstrating the physiological integrity of both tissues.
