Justyna Płonka-Czerw, Małgorzata Latocha

Application of 3D cultures in assessing the effectiveness of anticancer drugs and in personalized medicine – narrative review

 

2025-12-30

Research Subject. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with millions of new cases each year. Despite significant scientific progress and extensive research, cancer remains a serious public health challenge and a significant burden for patients, their families, and society. As knowledge about the causes, course, and changes that accompany cancer grows, approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention are also evolving. Understanding the complex mechanisms underlying the development and progression of the disease is crucial in developing new, effective cancer treatments. Patient-targeted therapies, allowing for the precise removal of abnormal cells while limiting side effects, show significant potential. Personalizing therapy requires considering the heterogeneity of cancer and tailoring treatment to the individual patient’s profile. In this respect, three-dimensional (3D) in vitro cultures can be of great help – both for the individual assessment of the nature of the cancer and the possibility of choosing the best method of its elimination, the assessment of sensitivity to specific drugs or an individual therapeutic approach, as well as at the stage of basic or preclinical research on more universal treatment
methods.

Research Objective. The aim of this study is to present the multifaceted possibilities of using 3D cultures in research dedicated to the development of anticancer therapies for oncology patients, including personalized therapies.

Methodology. A literature review was conducted using the search engines PubMed, Google Scholar, Wiley Online Library, and Web of Science, and the MEDLINE database. Publications containing the following keywords: “cell culture techniques”, “three dimensional”, “organoids”, “drug evaluation, preclinical”, and “precision medicine” were searched. The summary of currently conducted and completed clinical trials on the use of 3D cell cultures in assessing the effectiveness of anticancer drugs was made based on data available in the ClinicalTrials.gov database.

Results. The use of specific three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models in preclinical studies depends on the study’s goal and level of sophistication. Simple 3D models can be used as an alternative to currently used two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures in high-throughput drug screening studies, allowing the selection of those with the most potent cytotoxic activity against cancer cells from a vast number of potential anticancer drugs. More complex 3D models, in turn, allow for the inclusion of interactions between cancer cells and stromal cells and extracellular matrix components, which are crucial for tumor progression and play a key role in the tumor’s response to treatment. It is crucial to consider the role of cancer stem cells in research models. Research conducted in the field of personalized medicine is primarily focused on using 3D models to predict individual patient sensitivity to anticancer drugs. This not only allows for the selection of the most effective treatment regimen for a given patient but also often helps avoid devastating side effects. Furthermore, 3D cell cultures derived directly from a patient’s tumor can serve as a research model for newly developed oncology drugs or for repositioning drugs with well-characterized mechanisms of action.

Conclusions. Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures appear to be an extremely important link in the process of developing and introducing anticancer drugs into cancer therapy. To fully utilize the broad, multifaceted potential of 3D models in preclinical drug testing and personalized cancer therapy, it is essential to develop and implement standardized protocols and techniques for automating the cultivation of 3D models of specific tumor types, taking into account long-term culture methods under dynamic conditions, such as microfluidic systems.

Keywords: cell culture techniques, three dimensional; organoids; drug evaluation, preclinic.

© Farm Pol, 2025, 81(6): 331–347