More traditional models for understanding tumour dynamics, such as two-dimensional plate cultures, often fail to accurately represent disease onset and the complexity of the human microenvironment. The risk is that therapies developed by these models, when applied to humans, will reproduce unexpected results and be less effective.

An international study, published in the journal ‘Biomaterials’ and conducted by the Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology at Sapienza University of Rome, developed a new instrument capable of recreating complex vascularised tumours in the laboratory, which is fundamental for understanding the onset and progression of tumours related to the vascular system, biomechanical parameters and immune system responses.

The device is called ‘small Vessel Environment Bioreactor’ (sVEB) and reproduces blood vessels and their tumour microenvironment in miniature, offering a much more realistic model than traditional in vitro systems and ‘organs on a chip’, representing a major breakthrough in the field of precision medicine.

By using patient-derived cells and integrating different biofabrication technologies, such as 3D printing, millifluidics, materials technology and magnetism, sVEB makes it possible to study the specific characteristics of each individual, paving the way for personalised therapies.

‘The bioreactor,’ says Roberto Rizzi, study coordinator and professor of Tissue Bioengineering at Sapienza, ‘allows us to observe how a tumour interacts with blood vessels and how it responds to the arrival of immune cells, all under dynamic and controlled conditions, similar to those found in the human body’.

One of the most fascinating innovations introduced by sVEB is the use of immune system cells ‘guided’ by tiny magnetic particles. These particles, subjected to a magnetic field, allow immune cells to be precisely directed towards the tumour so as to target it more accurately and effectively. This could help transform tumours that are not very sensitive to immunotherapy, called ‘cold’, into ‘hot’ tumours that are more responsive to change.

The device was developed for the study of breast cancer, but also offers a wide range of applications for various organ-specific pathologies. Thanks to its modular structure and ability to replicate complex vascularised physiological systems and their biomechanical parameters, the sVEB can also be adapted to model the vessels within the heart, brain and other organs.

‘This versatility makes it possible to analyse the interactions between specific cells and their microenvironment under controlled conditions, facilitating the understanding of the mechanisms of pathological progression,’ continues Francesca Megiorni, lead author of the study and professor in the Department of Experimental Medicine at Sapienza. ‘The possibility of integrating cells derived from specific patients makes sVEB a promising tool for personalised medicine, allowing treatments to be developed based on individual patient characteristics.’

Although the application is still in its early stages, the sVEB bioreactor has proven to be a stable and reproducible system over time, fundamental characteristics for reliable research use, and represents a big step towards the possibility of simulating and studying complex diseases such as cancer in a more realistic and safe way.

References

F. Maiullari, M. G. Ceraolo, D. Presutti, N. Fratini, M. Galbiati, A. Fasciani, K. Giżyński, S. Bousselmi, F. Megiorni, C. Marchese, P. Kasprzycki, K. Karnowski, A. Talone, G.Varvaro, D. Peddis, M. Costantini, C. Bearzi, R. Rizzi, Modeling breast cancer dynamics through modulable small Vessel Environment Bioreactor (sVEB), Biomaterials, Volume 323, 2025, 123441, ISSN 0142-9612, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2025.123441. 

Further Information

Roberto Rizzi

Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology

roberto.rizzi@uniroma1.it