Tumour explants as next-generation models of cancer

Cancers are extremely complex, and accurately modelling them for drug testing and personalised medicine requires preserving as much of the patient’s original tumour as possible. When resected tumours are cultured outside the body, they retain the original features of the cancer. Many of these original features cannot be captured using existing tumour models.

Assistant Professor Eliza Fong from the Department of Biomedical Engineering under the College of Design and Engineering at NUS, who also holds an appointment with the N.1 Institute for Health at NUS, highlighted the importance of coordinated, cross-disciplinary and sustained efforts in driving widespread adoption of cultured tumour tissue. Researchers from the National Cancer Centre Singapore also shared additional insights.

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