3D bioprinting: an enabling technology to understand melanoma

Melanoma is a potentially fatal cancer with rising incidence over the last 50 years, associated with enhanced sun exposure and ultraviolet radiation. Its incidence is highest in people of Europeans descent and the ageing population. There are multiple clinical and epidemiological variables affecting melanoma incidence and mortality, such as sex, ethnicity, UV exposure, anatomic site, and age. Although survival has improved in recent years due to advances in targeted and immunotherapies, new understanding of melanoma biology and disease progression is vital to improve clinical outcome. Efforts to develop three-dimensional human skin equivalent models using biofabrication techniques such as bioprinting promise to deliver a better understanding of the complexity of melanoma and associated risk factors. These 3D skin models can be used as a platform for patient specific models and testing therapeutics.