Tumor-on-chip's alliance with molecular pathology against metastatic disease

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. While significant progress has been made in early detection and treatment, metastasis remains the major cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. In the last decade the rate of long-term survivorship of metastatic cancer has continued to improve and overcoming resistance to therapy has now become a challenge. Developing strategies to prevent and treat metastatic disease is a priority for public health and requires a thorough understanding of the mechanisms driving progression of a specific patient's tumor and the rapid identification of targetable cancer drivers and drug resistance genes.

Custom bioprinted tumors, which recreate the interactions between tumors and surrounding tissues, can be integrated into organ-on-chip platforms, and leveraging molecular pathology and OMICS data, can provide highly realistic patient-specific models. These biomimetic tools enable the investigation of metastasis organotropism, the identification of therapeutic targets and the design of drug administration protocols to prevent metastasis and to overcome resistance. Benefits, limitations, and challenges to address for an efficient and routine application of this cutting-edge approach, together with the role of Artificial-Intelligence (AI) in managing the complex datasets generated by OMICS technologies will be highlighted in this review, as well as their real-life implications and evolutionary prospects.

Applying patient-derived bioprinted tumors and organs for clinical purpose and developing standardized 4D and 5D bioprinting protocols would allow assessment of cancer response to treatments in a dynamic and faithfully reconstructed microenvironment. Integration of advanced molecular diagnostics and multi-OMICS data, with customized small-scale tumor models, assisted by AI-powered tools, requires a multidisciplinary framework. This integrated approach can upgrade clinical management of metastatic diseases, by accelerating the identification of actionable biomarkers and resistance mechanisms for timely therapy adjustments, thus enabling tailored treatment regimens based on individual tumor behavior.