3D liver tumours grown in dish

Primary liver cancer is one of the most deadly cancers in terms of survival rate – fewer than 1 in 5 patients survive past five years from diagnosis. Now, researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a new way to grow 3D liver tumours in the lab.  Previously, cancer cells were grown as two-dimensional sheets of cells, but the researchers believe that these three-dimensional tumour organoids (or ‘tumouroids’) are much better systems to use for understanding the disease, and could help develop better treatments. Lewis Thomson spoke to Dr Laura Broutier about her work.