Scottish cancer modelling company partners with Swedish firm to advance research into the disease

A Scottish company, that uses 3D bioprinting to create microsize models for cancer research, is partnering with a Swedish firm to help accelerate research into brain tumours and breast cancer.

Carcinotech, based at Roslin Innovation Centre on the outskirts of Edinburgh, is the pioneer and developer of the innovative modelling technology for cancer research.  The company prints 3D cancer models using patient specific stem cells.

Using tumour cells taken from a patient’s own body enables Carcinotech to replicate a cancer environment with 95% accuracy.  As well as providing an alternative to animal testing, this has hugely positive repercussions for drug testing and discovery as well as a means for testing personalised medicines.

Bioprinting uses bioinks – that is cells and other biological materials – to create biological structures.  By collaborating with CELLINK, which operates in more than 55 countries, Carcinotech will have access to the Swedish company’s world-leading bioprinting expertise.

One of the biggest challenges in cancer drug testing and treatment today is the failure rate of drugs in clinical trials – 85% don’t reach the market, largely owing to a lack of good research and testing models.

University of Edinburgh graduate, Ishani Malhotra, founded Carcinotech in 2018 to address this problem.  She said:

“I established the company because I wanted to make a significant contribution towards enabling the identification of effective treatments for cancer.  Working with CELLINK is really exciting as their knowledge and experience will be instrumental in enabling us to fulfil this aim.  Ultimately, we want to use our knowledge, and our partner’s, to help save lives.”

Dr. Itedale Namro Redwan, Chief Scientific Officer at CELLINK added:

“It is an honour to announce this partnership with Carcinotech. This collaboration will extend the pharmaceutical development segment for CELLINK and advance the tools used for future cancer drug development processes.”