Tumor-on-a-chip: from bioinspired design to biomedical application

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Cancer remains a leading cause of death, with significant challenges in replicating the tumor microenvironment in vitro.
• Conventional cell models and animal models fail to capture crucial human-specific factors, hindering research translation.
• Limitations in current models impede understanding cancer biology and developing effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in tumor-on-a-chip devices for cancer research.
• To analyze the application of these platforms in medicine assessment and biomedical applications.
• To highlight the potential of tumor-on-a-chip technology for understanding tumor evolution and drug development.

Main Methods:

• Integration of 3D cell culture, microfluidic technology, and tissue engineering.
• Development of platforms that mimic in vivo tumor microenvironment characteristics.
• Detailed analysis of recent progress and applications in cancer biology studies.

Main Results:

• Tumor-on-a-chip platforms successfully replicate key structural and functional aspects of the in vivo tumor microenvironment.
• These devices offer improved models for studying cancer biology.
• Significant progress has been made in medicine assessment and biomedical applications using these platforms.

Conclusions:

• Tumor-on-a-chip technology offers a promising approach to overcome limitations of traditional cancer models.
• These platforms enhance the screening of anticancer drugs and the development of targeted cancer therapies.
• Future opportunities lie in refining these models for accurate drug screening and personalized cancer treatment.