Tumor Microenvironment Based on Extracellular Matrix Hydrogels for On-Chip Drug Screening

Recent advances in three-dimensional (3D) culturing and nanotechnology offer promising pathways to overcome the limitations of drug screening, particularly for tumors like neuroblastoma. In this study, we develop a high-throughput microfluidic chip that integrates a concentration gradient generator (CGG) with a 3D co-culture system, constructing the vascularized microenvironment in tumors by co-culturing neuroblastoma (SY5Y cell line) and human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMVECs) within a decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) hydrogels. The automated platform enhances the simulation of the tumor microenvironment and allows for the precise control of the concentrations of nanomedicines, which is crucial for evaluating therapeutic efficacy. The findings demonstrate that the high-throughput platform can significantly accelerate drug discovery. It efficiently screens and analyzes drug interactions in a biologically relevant setting, potentially revolutionizing the drug screening process.