Deep Learning-Powered Scalable Cancer Organ Chip for Cancer Precision Medicine

Yu-Chieh Yuan1, Beibei Xu2, Jenna McCormack1

  • 1Xellar Biosystems, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Insights

A novel Organ Chip (OC) platform offers a scalable, low-cost solution for functional precision oncology. This system enables high-throughput drug sensitivity testing using patient-derived models, closely aligning with clinical outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Oncology
  • Microfluidics

Background:

  • Functional precision oncology aims to personalize cancer treatment by testing therapies on patient-derived models.
  • Existing models like patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) and patient-derived organoids (PDOs) face challenges including cost, time, scalability, and TME recapitulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a scalable, low-cost Organ Chip (OC) platform for functional precision oncology.
  • To overcome the limitations of current patient-derived models for drug sensitivity testing.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of an Organ Chip (OC) platform from thermoplastics using injection molding.
  • Utilized a patented channel geometry and surface treatment for barrier-free hydrogel confinement via capillary pinning.
  • Integrated deep learning for label-free phenotypic analysis and drug response prediction.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated a scalable, low-cost OC platform supporting diverse matrices and co-cultures with robust imaging.
  • Successfully performed drug sensitivity testing on cell lines and primary cells, with results aligning to clinical outcomes.
  • Developed a deep learning model for accurate, longitudinal, label-free phenotypic analysis.

Conclusions:

  • The developed Organ Chip (OC) system addresses key technical barriers in functional precision oncology.
  • This platform provides a promising framework for high-throughput, patient-relevant drug testing.
  • The integrated system enhances sensitivity and enables label-free analysis for personalized cancer therapy.

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