Tumor-microenvironment-on-a-chip: the Construction and Application

Overview

Journal Cell Commun Signal

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Biochemistry
Cell Biology

Date 2024 Oct 23

PMID 39438954

Authors

Hanzheng Xu

Jiangtao Wen

Jiahua Yang

Shufen Zhou

Yijie Li

Ke Xu

Wei Li

Sen Li

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Currently, despite the vast amounts of time and money invested in cancer treatment, cancer remains one of the primary threats to human life. The primary factor contributing to the low treatment efficacy is cancer heterogeneity. The unclear molecular mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis, coupled with the complexity of human physiology, and the inability of animal models to accurately replicate the human tumor microenvironment, pose significant hurdles in the development of novel cancer therapies. Tumor-microenvironment-on-chip (TMOC) represents a research platform that integrates three-dimensional cell culture with microfluidic systems, simulating the essential components and physiological traits of the in vivo tumor microenvironment. It offers a dynamic setting within the chip system to study tumor progression, potentially heralding a breakthrough in cancer research. In this review, we will summarize the current advancements in this platform, encompassing various types of TMOCs and their applications in different types of cancer. From our perspective, the TMOC platform necessitates enhanced integration with tissue engineering techniques and microphysiological environments before it can evolve into a more refined preclinical model for cancer research.

Citing Articles

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