Case Study: Pioneering 3D Bioprinted Skin Models for Cancer Research

Background

As part of Nextonic Solutions’ commitment to advancing biomedical innovation, our CEO, Kristy Derr, led groundbreaking research into 3D bioprinting that laid the foundation for physiologically accurate skin models. Published in Tissue Engineering Part C, her first-author study (https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/ten.TEC.2018.0318) introduced a novel bioink and 3D bioprinting strategy to replicate the complexity of human skin in vitro.

Challenge

Traditional 2D cell cultures fail to replicate the structural and functional complexity of human skin, limiting their utility for studying diseases like melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The agency needed physiologically relevant tissue models to enable high-fidelity cancer research, drug testing, and predictive toxicology.

Nextonic's Solution

Nextonic Solutions engineered a suite of 3D bioprinted human skin tissue models that replicate the layered architecture and cellular dynamics of real skin. Drawing from the techniques validated in the 2018 study “Development of Three-Dimensional Skin Constructs: A Novel Bioink and 3D Bioprinting Platform for Skin Tissue Engineering” (Koch et al.), our team:

• Developed a custom bioink formulation supporting high cell viability and structural fidelity.

• Bioprinted skin constructs with epidermal and dermal layers, incorporating human keratinocytes and fibroblasts.

• Optimized scaffold design to support proliferation, differentiation, and ECM remodeling, critical for realistic modeling of disease progression.

• Integrated the tissue models into assay platforms for preclinical screening of anti-cancer compounds.

Kristy Derr performs a skin print using a state-of-the-art 3D bioprinter. The lab setting highlights the innovative technology at work, demonstrating the intricate process of bioprinting human tissues.

Outcomes

• Successfully produced fully stratified skin models with histological features resembling in vivo tissue.

• Enabled the study of tumor–skin interactions in a physiologically relevant environment.

• Supported the identification of potential therapeutic compounds targeting melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

• Laid the foundation for future models incorporating vascularization, immune cells, and 3D tumor spheroids.

Comparison of bioprinted skin (left) and real human skin (right) highlighting key layers: stratum corneum, stratum granulosum, and stratum spinosum, demonstrating structural accuracy and similarity.

Impact

Nextonic’s 3D skin tissue engineering solution bridges the translational gap between in vitro assays and clinical relevance. By enabling more predictive, human-relevant testing environments, we accelerate the pace of scientific discovery and therapeutic validation in oncology research.