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Updated: Jun 3, 2026
07:46
Microfluidic Co-Culture Models for Dissecting the Immune Response in in vitro Tumor Microenvironments
Published on: April 30, 2021
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Recapitulating the Cancer-Immunity Cycle on a Chip
Yujin Lee1, Jaehong Min2, Solbin Kim1
1Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|September 2, 2024
Summary
Microphysiological systems (MPS) offer advanced models to study the cancer-immunity cycle. These organ-on-a-chip and organoid platforms enhance understanding of tumor-immune interactions for better immunotherapy development.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- The cancer-immunity cycle describes immune interactions with tumors, crucial for immunotherapy.
- Understanding the tumor microenvironment (TME) is key, but complex.
- Current models have limitations in replicating in vivo dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advancements in microphysiological systems (MPS) for modeling the cancer-immunity cycle.
- To evaluate MPS applications in studying TME and immune responses.
- To guide future immunotherapy development using these novel platforms.
Main Methods:
- Review of organ-on-a-chip, organoid, and bioprinting technologies.
- Focus on microphysiological systems (MPS) that mimic the TME.
- Analysis of how MPS model cancer progression and immune evasion.
Main Results:
- MPS provide physiologically relevant models of the cancer-TME-immune system.
- These systems allow detailed study of each phase of the cancer-immunity cycle.
- MPS facilitate research into immune evasion and therapeutic strategies.
Conclusions:
- MPS are powerful tools for dissecting the cancer-immunity cycle.
- They offer enhanced understanding of tumor-immune dynamics.
- MPS pave the way for next-generation immunotherapies.
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