3D Printed Bioelectronic Scaffolds for Impedance-based Cytotoxicity Monitoring of In Vitro Cancer Models

Cancer is a significant contributor to global mortality and places a substantial burden on healthcare systems, underscoring the need for improved strategies for developing and evaluating new therapies. Electrochemical impedance monitoring of in vitro cancer models is a promising technique for evaluating treatment effectiveness, particularly for evaluating how well a drug may kill cancer cells. This approach is advantageous over conventional end-point assays because it is non-destructive, label-free, and can provide temporal information on cell behavior and drug kinetics. However, traditional impedance devices are limited in that they do not support three-dimensional cell culture that has become standard in cancer studies. Typical devices are planar substrates that support monolayer culture, which has been shown to overestimate drug effectiveness. In this work, we propose 3D printed bioelectronic scaffold devices that provide 3D cancer cell culture while functioning as an on-chip readout for monitoring changes in cell characteristics via impedance. We describe device development and demonstrate reproducible fabrication, stable electrochemical properties, cell detection by impedance, and proof-of-concept monitoring of cytotoxicity in response to a chemotherapeutic drug. Overall, this technology offers a promising platform that could be further developed for compound screening as part of drug development or precision medicine.