Abstract

Primary bone tumors, such as osteosarcoma, are highly aggressive pediatric tumors that develop lung metastases in 30% of cases and are characterized by a poor prognosis. Bone is also the third most common metastatic site in patients with advanced cancer, and when tumor cells settle in the skeleton, the disease is usually considered incurable and treatment is palliative. Osteosarcoma and bone metastases share a niche with the microenvironment of the same tissue. 3D culture is a new and promising approach for studying the interaction of tumor cells with other cells or cell-free components of the tumor microenvironment (fibroblasts, mesenchymal stem cells, bone ECM, etc.). In fact, 3D models can mimic the physiological interactions that are important for regulating soluble paraclinic factor response, tumor drug resistance, and aggression, and overall, these innovative models are animal-based. It may be possible to avoid the use of preclinical cancer models. So far, static and dynamic 3D cell culture models have proven to be particularly suitable for screening anticancer agents, providing accurate information by transforming in vitro cell cultures into precision medicine. This short report summarizes the latest technologies in the field of primary and metastatic bone tumors, the various methods and techniques used to realize 3D cell culture systems, and the path to personalized medicine.