Bioprinting a human omentum model to investigate ovarian cancer cell adhesion and invasion.

Aim of my PhD thesis is the development of a human omentum model using the advantages of 3D bioprinting technology. The omentum is usually the main site for ovarian cancer metastasis and results in a reduced survival rate of the patients. Our omentum model consists of the 5 main cell types of the omentum and the specific structure of the tissue (blood vessels, agglomerations of macrophages and thin layers of extracellular matrix and cells) is imitated using 3D bioprinting technology. The model will be used to study ovarian cancer spreading and at a later stage to test the efficiency of newly developed anti-cancer drugs. So far, a static model was already developed, whereas a dynamic model containing a blood vessel, which is connected to a pump is still ongoing.