Abstract
PURPOSE: Three dimensional (3D) "in vitro" models are progressively being applied to investigate tumor cell biology and the interaction of cancer cells with tumor microenvironment under conditions more similar and realistic to "in vivo" behavior than standard bidimensional (2D) cultures. METHODS: In the last years, different methods have been developed to create spheroids and organoids and each technique has advantages and limitations also based on individual needs and cell types used. This review offers an overview of methodologies used for 3D systems: scaffold-free and scaffold-based methods up to bioreactors and organ-on-chip models. RESULTS: The principal goal for researchers is to select the 3D system that best suits their needs and that reflects the tumor model they want to study. A large chapter is dedicated to the application of these models to lymphomas' study, a neoplasm still little explored in the 3D field. CONCLUSION: These innovative and advanced models may represent new tools for cancer research and pre-clinical studies of new therapies in the perspective of precision medicine.