Optimization of Laser Parameters for Ablative Therapy of 3D Tumor Models

Sponsor: Brevard Community Foundation

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer with over half a million new cases diagnosed annually. Majority of these cases are caused by liver cirrhosis from hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus. Patients with chronic liver diseases can often not undergo surgery or chemotherapy; therefore, ablation procedures are becoming increasingly recommended. Ablative therapy (AT) can include radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation, laser ablation, or microwave ablation. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology facilitates the building of a tissue construct containing biomaterials and cells in desired organizations and shapes that have physiologically relevant geometry, complexity, and micro-environmental cues. An accurate representation of the tumor microenvironment can be achieved using a 3D model, which allows for investigating the optimal temperature ranges that will result in cancer cell death or alterations in levels of novel HCC proteins. Laser ablation efficacy depends on laser parameters including power, frequency, operational mode and on the irradiation tine. The goal of this work is to quantitatively assess correlations between cell death and the thermal profiles of 3D HCC models created by varying laser parameters and irradiation times.