Glasgow Researchers Unveil Lab-Grown Bone Marrow for Cancer Study

Scientists at the University of Glasgow have achieved a significant milestone by developing the world’s first bioengineered bone marrow model. This innovative advancement is set to revolutionize cancer research, particularly in the realm of blood cancers, and aims to reduce the reliance on animal testing for new therapies. The research focuses on CAR T-cell therapy, an emerging treatment that has shown promise for certain blood cancers but remains challenging to apply effectively to acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), the most prevalent form of leukaemia in adults.

Traditionally, testing new therapies for AML has depended heavily on animal models. This approach often proves problematic, as bone marrow stem cells tend to perish or behave unpredictably once removed from the body, leading to unreliable experimental outcomes. To address this issue, the Glasgow team combined human cells with hydrogels—soft, jelly-like substances—to recreate the intricate structure of bone marrow in a laboratory setting.

In their study, researchers introduced leukaemic stem cells into the bioengineered model and evaluated the efficacy of CAR T-cell therapy against them. The findings highlighted a crucial flaw in conventional pre-clinical testing methods, where results from cells in a petri dish tended to overestimate the effectiveness of CAR T-cells while failing to anticipate the therapy’s adverse effects on healthy cells. In contrast, the new bone marrow model provided a more accurate assessment of both the treatment’s potential and its associated risks.

Bridging the Gap in Cancer Therapy Testing

Dr. Hannah Donnelly, a lead author of the study and research fellow at the University of Glasgow, underscored the significance of this work. She noted, “There is a major translational gap in cell therapy development—conventional, over-simplified testing methods often fail to predict how therapies will behave in humans. This gap leads to high failure rates in clinical trials, driving up costs and delaying treatments for patients.”

By employing human cells alongside hydrogels to replicate the bone marrow’s complex structure, the research team demonstrated that it is possible to evaluate both the effectiveness of therapies and identify off-target effects earlier in the process, significantly before they enter the costly clinical trial stage. Dr. Donnelly added, “Our results highlight the potential of non-animal technologies for studying and developing new leukaemia therapies. This approach could reduce reliance on animal models in drug testing over time, ultimately paving the way for more efficient and effective development of therapies for patients.”

The implications of this research extend beyond CAR T-cell therapy. It may also facilitate future combinations of CAR T-cell treatments with gene-editing techniques such as CRISPR. These innovations aim to render healthy cells “invisible” to treatments while still targeting cancer cells, a significant challenge in the management of AML.

Although the technology is still in its early stages, its potential for providing more human-relevant testing, accelerating drug development, and ultimately enhancing patient safety is substantial. With ongoing advancements in this field, the future of cancer treatment may become significantly more effective and tailored to individual patient needs.