3D Models of Head and Neck Tumors in Personalized Treatment Approaches and Assessment of Therapeutic Efficacy of Drugs

HR  EN   

Project acronym: HNSCC-3D-PREDICT

Project number: 581-UNIOS-86

Principal investigator: Professor Ljubica Glavaš-Obrovac, MSc, PhD
Funding source: European Union – NextGeneration EU
Project duration: 1 October 2025. to 30 September 2029.
Budget: 111,150.00 EUR

Project summary:

Head and neck tumors are the sixth most common malignant tumors worldwide. Despite multimodal treatment and advances in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, the five-year survival rate for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has not improved significantly for decades and remains around 55–60% across all stages of the disease. Although the oral cavity is highly accessible for clinical examination, nearly half of these tumors are still detected at late (stage III and IV) stages. The resistance of HNSCC to drugs and radiotherapy presents an increasing challenge in medical practice, particularly during therapy, as the emergence of drug-resistant cancer cells significantly complicates clinical management. The main objectives of this project are: (1) to establish three-dimensional (3D) preclinical models of HNSCC, derived from tumors of affected individuals, that replicate the cellular composition, architecture, and mutation or viral load of the original tumor tissue; (2) to compare the response of these 3D models to antitumor therapy with the clinical response of the patients from whom they were derived; and (3) to establish a collection of tumor tissue and 3D HNSCC models that will be valuable for future evaluation of innovative strategies. We anticipate that this project will contribute to the development of functional three-dimensional preclinical model platforms for predicting tumor behavior, treatment response, and stratification of individuals who could benefit from established therapies as well as new concepts in precision medicine.