Researchers have used brain cancer patients' own cells in a form of 3D printing material to make a model of their tumor to test the efficacy of potential treatments before using them for real inside the body.

The scientists extract "a chunk" of the tumor from the brain of a patient with glioblastoma - an aggressive cancer with a very poor prognosis - and use it to print a model matching their MRI scans, said Professor Ronit Satchi-Fainaro, who led the research at Tel Aviv University.

The patient's blood is then pumped through the printed tumor, made with a compound that mimics the brain, followed by a drug or therapeutic treatment.

While previous research has used such "bioprinting" to simulate cancer environments, the Tel Aviv University researchers say they are the first to print a "viable" tumor.

"We have about two weeks (to) test all the different therapies that we would like to evaluate (on) that specific tumor, and get back with an answer - which treatment is predicted to be the best fit," Satchi-Fainaro said.

A treatment is deemed promising if the printed tumor shrinks or if it lowers metabolic activity against control groups.