Muscat – An Omani researcher has had promising results in building a 3D cellular model simulating the complex biological and chemical natural environment of cancer cells in the human body.

The results of the three-year study were published in June in the Swiss scientific journal Gels.

“Tumours are complex cellular ecosystems with different types of cells, fibres and proteins that effect the rapid and continuous growth of cancer cells,” Dr Noora al Balushi, a researcher at School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, told ONA.

Cancer immunology is especially difficult to model because the immune system is exceedingly complex. It contains multiple types of cells, and each cell type has several subtypes and a spectrum of activation states. Several immune cell types interact with cancer cells and other components of the tumour, ultimately influencing disease outcome.

Noora informed that she synthesised a 3D cellular environment similar to that found in a tumour by culturing cancer cells, fibres, immune cells and special proteins that form an array of functionally programmed peptide sequences into a gel known as a hydrogel.

Noora studied the behaviour and characteristics of cells, such as their growth, movement, division and interaction with various factors surrounding them in the laboratory environment, including chemical and biological materials, using advanced radiological and analytical devices.

“This 3D cancer cell model helped a lot in understanding the nature and behaviour of these cells compared to the traditional 2D model,” Noora said.

“This approach shows promise as a cancer model, enhancing current understandings of how tumours progress and spread over time within their microenvironment.”

She added that this low-cost cellular environment can be used to test cancer treatment drugs and prove their efficacy before moving to the next and most expensive step, which is experimenting on laboratory animals before trials on human patients.

Noora pointed out that the results can be used to study the characteristics and behaviour of cancer cells in relation to speed of growth, proliferation and division. “The model will contribute to accelerating the production of highly effective cancer treatments, in addition to facilitating an understanding of the multiple and changing characteristics of different cancer cells.”

The research was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, the Ministry of Health, RMIT University and Deakin University in Australia.