Advancements in Cancer Research: Exploring the Role of 3D Bioprinting

Traditional approaches such as two-dimensional (2D) tumor models and animal studies often fall short in accurately replicating human cancer biology. In response to these limitations, three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has emerged as a powerful platform for generating complex, physiologically relevant tumor models that better recapitulate the tumor microenvironment (TME). These bioprinted constructs enable precise spatial organization of multiple cell types and extracellular matrix components, allowing more faithful in vitro representation of tumor architecture and cellular interactions. Increasingly, patient-derived bioprinted models have demonstrated promise in personalized drug screening and therapeutic optimization, with applications reported in cancers such as glioblastoma, breast cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma, highlighting their potential to improve predictive accuracy in preclinical testing and precision oncology. Despite these advances, significant challenges remain, including optimization of bioinks, reproducibility, scalability, and standardization of bioprinting workflows for broader clinical adoption. This review provides an integrated, clinician-oriented overview of 3D bioprinting in oncology, discussing its role in modeling tumor heterogeneity, angiogenesis, and metastasis, while critically evaluating current limitations and translational barriers. Emerging strategies-including smart bioinks, microfluidic integration, and four-dimensional (4D) bioprinting-are also examined as potential solutions to enhance functional complexity and clinical relevance, ultimately supporting the advancement of drug development pipelines and personalized cancer therapy.