Tissue-engineered 3D tumor angiogenesis models: Potential technologies for anti-cancer drug discovery

Angiogenesis is indispensable for solid tumor expansion, and thus it has become a major target of cancer research and anti-canter therapies. Deciphering the arcane actions of various cell populations during tumor angiogenesis requires sophisticated research models, which could capture the dynamics and complexity of the process. There is a continuous need for improvement of existing research models, which engages interdisciplinary approaches of tissue engineering with life sciences. Tireless efforts to develop a new model to study tumor angiogenesis result in innovative solutions, which bring us one step closer to decipher the dubious nature of cancer. This review aims to overview the recent developments, current limitations and future challenges in three-dimensional tissue-engineered models for the study of tumor angiogenesis and for the purpose of elucidating novel targets aimed at anti-cancer drug discovery. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.