Only 12% of drugs entering clinical trials are ultimately approved for patient use by regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), taking ~12-15 years from discovery to market commercialization. This inefficient process is partly attributed to the use of animal models as the gold standard for preclinical drug testing; however, these models are not only expensive and time-consuming but also raise ethical concerns and often fail to accurately predict human responses due to significant cross-species physiological differences. As a result, the USA FDA Modernization Act 2.0 encourages the development of novel methodologies, such as advanced in vitro assays, microphysiological systems, and organoids as humanized platforms for preclinical studies. We are utilizing synthetic biology tools to engineer mammalian cells to form tissues that capture solid tumors and cartilage. These environments will enable the study of drug transport, drug delivery, and therapeutic screening.