Tumour-on-Chip Models for the Study of Ovarian Cancer: Current Challenges and Future Prospects

Ovarian cancer is a highly lethal malignancy, characterised by late-stage diagnosis, marked inter- and intra-tumoural heterogeneity, and frequent development of chemoresistance. Existing preclinical models, including conventional two-dimensional cultures, three-dimensional spheroids, and organoids, only partially recapitulate the structural and functional complexity of the ovarian tumour microenvironment (TME). Tumour-on-chip (CoC) technology has emerged as a promising alternative, enabling the co-culture of tumour and stromal cells within a microengineered platform that incorporates relevant extracellular matrix components, biochemical gradients, and biomechanical cues under precisely controlled microfluidic conditions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of CoC technology relevant to ovarian cancer research, outlining fabrication strategies, device architectures, and TME-integration approaches. We systematically analyse published ovarian cancer-specific CoC models, revealing a surprisingly limited number of studies and a lack of standardisation across design parameters, materials, and outcome measures. Based on these findings, we identify critical technical and biological considerations to inform the rational design of next-generation CoC platforms, with the aim of improving their reproducibility, translational value, and potential for personalised medicine applications.