Non-Destructively Quantifying the Whole-Course Growth and Drug-Response of PDOs by an Automatic Microfluidic System...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cancer Research
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) are vital in precision medicine but lack real-time molecular monitoring.
• Conventional imaging offers morphology but misses critical molecular insights.
• Secreted biomarkers provide a promising avenue for real-time physiological data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a microfluidic system for non-destructive, continuous monitoring of PDO growth and drug response.
• To correlate biomarker levels (CEA) with organoid growth kinetics and drug efficacy.
• To establish a method for fine-grained prognostic evaluation of PDOs.

Main Methods:

• A multifunctional microfluidic chip was designed to integrate culturing, drug incubation, and biomarker detection.
• Carcinogenic Embryonic Antigen (CEA) was monitored non-destructively over 6 days for growth and 72 hours for drug response.
• Organoid growth rate was assessed via net CEA accumulation, and drug response was monitored at multiple intervals.

Main Results:

• The integrated microfluidic system enabled stable culture and continuous monitoring of PDOs.
• CEA accumulation correlated with organoid growth rates.
• Drug testing results showed concordance with clinical patient outcomes.
• The system demonstrated feasibility for real-time, detailed assessment of PDOs.

Conclusions:

• This microfluidic system offers a novel approach for non-destructive, whole-course monitoring of PDOs.
• Continuous biomarker monitoring provides real-time physiological data for growth and drug response.
• This technology has potential for precise patient prognostic evaluation in precision medicine.