Protocol for 3D bioprinting of a 3D in vitro model of neuroblastoma

Mehdi Salar Amoli; Sarah Rezapourdamanab; Linqi Jin; Melissa A Cadena; Kaveeta Kaw; Vani Sridhar; Mostafa Meselhe; Sarah Krikor; Morteza Mahmoudi; Liqun Ning; Jenny Shim; Martin L Tomov; Kelly C Goldsmith; Vahid Serpooshan

doi:10.1016/j.xpro.2025.103725

Protocol for 3D bioprinting of a 3D in vitro model of neuroblastoma

STAR Protoc. 2025 Jun 20;6(2):103725. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2025.103725. Epub 2025 Apr 8.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. Electronic address: mehdi.salar.amoli@gatech.edu.
² Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
³ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
⁴ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
⁵ Precision Health Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
⁶ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA.
⁷ Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, The Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
⁸ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
⁹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. Electronic address: vahid.serpooshan@bme.gatech.edu.

Abstract

Here, we present a protocol for developing an in vitro 3D model of neuroblastoma through bioprinting, incorporating key components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), including vasculature and cancer cell line spheroids. We describe steps for the preparation, bioprinting, and evaluation of tumor models and their use to assess the impact of TME on solid tumor behavior. We report procedures for bioink preparation, bioprinting, the measurement of mechanical properties and fidelity, as well as the viability of different cell types and their interactions. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Ning et al.¹.

Keywords: biotechnology and bioengineering; cancer; cell culture.

MeSH terms

Bioprinting* / methods
Cell Line, Tumor
Humans
Models, Biological*
Neuroblastoma* / pathology
Printing, Three-Dimensional*
Spheroids, Cellular
Tumor Microenvironment