Concise review: 3D cell culture systems for anticancer drug screening

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) cultures are becoming increasingly popular due to their ability to mimic tissue-like structures more effectively than monolayer cultures. In cancer research, the natural tumor characteristics and architecture are more closely mimicked by 3D cell models. Thus, 3D cell cultures are more promising and suitable models, particularly for in vitro drug screening to predict in vivo efficacy. Different methods have been developed to create 3D cell culture systems for research application. This review will introduce and discuss 3D cell culture methods most popularly used in drug screening. The potential applications of these systems in anticancer drug screening will also be discussed.