The traditional two-dimensional (2D) in vitro cell culture system (on a flat support) has long
been used in cancer research. However, this system cannot be fully translated into clinical …

Most cancers arise in individuals over the age of 60. As the world population is living longer
and reaching older ages, cancer is becoming a substantial public health problem. It is …

Owing to their tunable properties, controllable degradation, and ability to protect labile
drugs, hydrogels are increasingly investigated as local drug delivery systems. However, a …

Highlights•Physical cues from the tumor microenvironment strongly affect cancer cell
behavior.•Novel techniques increasingly help to capture those cues in vitro.•Mechanisms for …

The glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (HA), a major component of extracellular matrices, and
cell surface receptors of HA have been proposed to have pivotal roles in cell proliferation …

Of the deaths attributed to cancer, 90% are due to metastasis, and treatments that prevent or
cure metastasis remain elusive. Emerging data indicate that hypoxia and the extracellular …

During organogenesis, epithelial cells can give rise to mesenchymal cells through epithelial–
mesenchymal transition. The reverse process, mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET), can …

Matrix stiffness potently regulates cellular behaviour in various biological contexts. In breast
tumours, the presence of dense clusters of collagen fibrils indicates increased matrix …

Cells, grown as monolayers (2D models), are routinely used as initial model systems for
evaluating the effectiveness and safety of libraries of molecules with potential as therapeutic …

The role of tumor microenvironment in cancer progression is gaining significant attention. It
is realized that cancer cells and the corresponding stroma co-evolve with time. Cancer cells …