AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB026380405
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REVIEW ARTICLE

Engineering colorectal cancer models across the primary tumor–portal circulation–liver metastasis continuum: Organoids, 3D bioprinting, and microphysiological systems

Chengyao Jiang1 ,  Xuan Zhang2 ,  Sheng Zhang2 ,  Xiankui Cao3 ,  Jinzhen Zhou4*
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1 Department of Gastric Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning , China
2 State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Frontier Science Center for Smart Materials, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning , China
3 Department of General Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning , China
4 Department of General Surgery, The Third People’s Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian , China
Received: 14 September 2026 | Revised: 16 October 2026 | Accepted: 20 October 2026 | Published online: 12 November 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) arises within a complex tissue environment in which tumor cells interact with stromal and immune cells, vascular structures, the extracellular matrix, and organ-specific niches. Patient-derived organoids preserve many features of the original tumor, but conventional models still have difficulty reproducing tissue organization, multicellular interactions, vascular transport, mechanical signals, and the stepwise process of metastasis. This review integrates the spectrum of engineered CRC models from spheroids and patient-derived organoids to 3D-bioprinted constructs and microphysiological systems with particular emphasis on modeling the primary tumor–portal circulation–liver metastasis continuum. This narrative review was informed by a structured search of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase from database inception to September 14, 2026, with emphasis on patient-derived and microenvironment-integrated CRC models. Recent platforms increasingly incorporate organ-specific matrices, stromal and immune components, vascularization, perfusion, and spatial control, allowing key steps of invasion, vascular dissemination, hepatic colonization, dormancy, and treatment response to be studied. However, most models still capture only part of the metastatic process, and clinical validation remains limited and heterogeneous. We propose a five-domain framework covering cellular, spatial, mechanical, dynamic, and clinical fidelity, together with a four-tier translational evidence hierarchy and the CRC-BioPrint minimum reporting checklist. Future models should favor reproducibility and fitness for purpose over unnecessary complexity. Combining functional testing with molecular, spatial, and clinical data may improve the translational relevance of engineered CRC models, although their prospective clinical utility remains to be established.

Keywords
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal liver metastasis
3D bioprinting
Patient-derived organoids
Tumor microenvironment
Microphysiological systems
Precision oncology
Metastasis modeling
Funding
This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Provincial Science and Technology Plan Joint Program (Grant No. 2024-MSLH-270).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing