Infographic: A 3-D Printed Brain Tumor

How researchers create a glioblastoma on a chip that can predict patients’ response to treatments

Written byJef Akst

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A chamber wall is printed with silicon-based bioink on a sterile glass slide (1). Within this chamber, a mixture of human vascular cells derived from umbilical cords and decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) from a pig’s brain is printed in a ring (2). Finally, a third bioink, containing porcine ECM combined with glioblastoma (GBM) cells taken from a patient’s resected tumor, fills in the ring (3). After a week of growth in a cell culture incubator, the model is ready to be used to screen various therapy options.

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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