A new hydrogel-based platform to preserve live patient-derived tumour tissues in the lab could pave the way for faster, more accurate testing of cancer treatments for patients with peritoneal metastases, a hard-to-treat and often deadly form of abdominal and pelvic cancers.

The approach, which uses customisable bioengineered hydrogels, has been developed by a team led by Assistant Professor Eliza Fong from the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Design and Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the N.1 Institute for Health, and Associate Professor Johnny Ong from the Department of Sarcoma, Peritoneal and Rare Tumours (SPRinT) at Singapore General Hospital and the National Cancer Centre Singapore.

The hydrogel closely mimics the body’s natural environment and can keep patient-derived tumour samples alive and structurally intact for over 12 days - more than twice as long as current methods.

The study was published on 20 May 2025 in the journal Advanced Materials.

Peritoneal metastases (PM) occur when cancer cells spread to the lining of the abdomen, often from advanced colorectal, ovarian or gastric cancers.

Current treatment options are limited, and survival rates are typically low.

“One of the key challenges in developing new therapies for PM has been the lack of realistic lab models that reflect the complexity of tumours in patients,” said Asst Prof Fong, co-lead of the research study.

“Our hydrogel overcomes this by maintaining not only the complex tumour composition but also its biological functions, including the immune and connective tissue components that play a critical role in how tumours respond to drugs”.

In conventional culture methods where tumour tissue is cultured on inert surfaces, samples often shrink, break down and lose their ability to survive after just a few days.

In contrast, bioengineered hydrogels create a more supportive three-dimensional environment that helps prevent this tissue degradation by blocking a process known as myosin II-mediated tissue contraction.

To more closely replicate conditions in the body, the researchers also added ascites — a fluid commonly found in the abdomens of patients with peritoneal metastases — to their model.

They found that the presence of ascites significantly altered the tumours’ response to chemotherapy, making them more drug-resistant.

This reinforces the importance of including patient-specific factors in preclinical drug testing.

Using their model, the researchers tested standard chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin and doxorubicin as well as targeted therapy, and also trialled an experimental therapy targeting a protein found in ascites.

“Our goal was to develop a platform that better reflects the complexity of human tumours so we can evaluate drugs more reliably and tailor treatments to individual patients,” said Assoc Prof Ong, co-lead of this study.

“The results from these tests showed that drug responses varied across patients, highlighting our model’s potential for personalising treatment.”

Notably, the model retained key features of the original tumour environment.

Single-cell RNA sequencing confirmed that major cell types - including immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and endothelial cells - were preserved in similar proportions to the original tumours.

The hydrogel also maintained cell-to-cell communication patterns critical for understanding tumour behaviour and drug resistance.

The researchers say the hydrogel platform could become a valuable tool for both drug development and precision oncology, offering new hope for patients with few current treatment options.

Source: National University of Singapore College of Design and Engineering