1
|
Ko J, Song J, Lee Y, Choi N, Kim HN. Understanding organotropism in cancer metastasis using microphysiological systems. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:1542-1556. [PMID: 38192269 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00889d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Cancer metastasis, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, remains a complex challenge in medical science. Stephen Paget's "seed and soil theory" introduced the concept of organotropism, suggesting that metastatic success depends on specific organ microenvironments. Understanding organotropism not only offers potential for curbing metastasis but also novel treatment strategies. Microphysiological systems (MPS), especially organ-on-a-chip models, have emerged as transformative tools in this quest. These systems, blending microfluidics, biology, and engineering, grant precise control over cell interactions within organ-specific microenvironments. MPS enable real-time monitoring, morphological analysis, and protein quantification, enhancing our comprehension of cancer dynamics, including tumor migration, vascularization, and pre-metastatic niches. In this review, we explore innovative applications of MPS in investigating cancer metastasis, particularly focusing on organotropism. This interdisciplinary approach converges the field of science, engineering, and medicine, thereby illuminating a path toward groundbreaking discoveries in cancer research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jihoon Ko
- Department of BioNano Technology, Gachon University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13120, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jiyoung Song
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yedam Lee
- Department of BioNano Technology, Gachon University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13120, Republic of Korea.
| | - Nakwon Choi
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.
- Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Hong Nam Kim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.
- Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
- Yonsei-KIST Convergence Research Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Xiu Z, Yang Q, Xie F, Han F, He W, Liao W. Revolutionizing digestive system tumor organoids research: Exploring the potential of tumor organoids. J Tissue Eng 2024; 15:20417314241255470. [PMID: 38808253 PMCID: PMC11131411 DOI: 10.1177/20417314241255470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Digestive system tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite ongoing research, our understanding of their mechanisms and treatment remain inadequate. One promising tool for clinical applications is the use of gastrointestinal tract tumor organoids, which serve as an important in vitro model. Tumor organoids exhibit a genotype similar to the patient's tumor and effectively mimic various biological processes, including tissue renewal, stem cell, and ecological niche functions, and tissue response to drugs, mutations, or injury. As such, they are valuable for drug screening, developing novel drugs, assessing patient outcomes, and supporting immunotherapy. In addition, innovative materials and techniques can be used to optimize tumor organoid culture systems. Several applications of digestive system tumor organoids have been described and have shown promising results in related aspects. In this review, we discuss the current progress, limitations, and prospects of this model for digestive system tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhian Xiu
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Clinical Medical College, Affiliated Hospital of Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiujiang Clinical Precision Medicine Research Center, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Qian Yang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Fusheng Xie
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Clinical Medical College, Affiliated Hospital of Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiujiang Clinical Precision Medicine Research Center, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Feng Han
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Clinical Medical College, Affiliated Hospital of Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiujiang Clinical Precision Medicine Research Center, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Weiwei He
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Clinical Medical College, Affiliated Hospital of Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiujiang Clinical Precision Medicine Research Center, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Weifang Liao
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Clinical Medical College, Affiliated Hospital of Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiujiang Clinical Precision Medicine Research Center, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yu Y, Zhou T, Cao L. Use and application of organ-on-a-chip platforms in cancer research. J Cell Commun Signal 2023:10.1007/s12079-023-00790-7. [PMID: 38032444 DOI: 10.1007/s12079-023-00790-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumors are a major cause of death worldwide, and much effort has been made to develop appropriate anti-tumor therapies. Existing in vitro and in vivo tumor models cannot reflect the critical features of cancer. The development of organ-on-a-chip models has enabled the integration of organoids, microfluidics, tissue engineering, biomaterials research, and microfabrication, offering conditions that mimic tumor physiology. Three-dimensional in vitro human tumor models that have been established as organ-on-a-chip models contain multiple cell types and a structure that is similar to the primary tumor. These models can be applied to various foci of oncology research. Moreover, the high-throughput features of microfluidic organ-on-a-chip models offer new opportunities for achieving large-scale drug screening and developing more personalized treatments. In this review of the literature, we explore the development of organ-on-a-chip technology and discuss its use as an innovative tool in basic and clinical applications and summarize its advancement of cancer research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - TingTing Zhou
- The College of Basic Medical Science, Health Sciences Institute, Key Laboratory of Cell Biology of Ministry of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology of Ministry of Education, Liaoning Province Collaborative Innovation Center of Aging Related Disease Diagnosis and Treatment and Prevention, China Medical University, No. 77, Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China
| | - Liu Cao
- The College of Basic Medical Science, Health Sciences Institute, Key Laboratory of Cell Biology of Ministry of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology of Ministry of Education, Liaoning Province Collaborative Innovation Center of Aging Related Disease Diagnosis and Treatment and Prevention, China Medical University, No. 77, Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Borenstein JT, Cummins G, Dutta A, Hamad E, Hughes MP, Jiang X, Lee HH, Lei KF, Tang XS, Zheng Y, Chen J. Bionanotechnology and bioMEMS (BNM): state-of-the-art applications, opportunities, and challenges. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:4928-4949. [PMID: 37916434 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00296a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
The development of micro- and nanotechnology for biomedical applications has defined the cutting edge of medical technology for over three decades, as advancements in fabrication technology developed originally in the semiconductor industry have been applied to solving ever-more complex problems in medicine and biology. These technologies are ideally suited to interfacing with life sciences, since they are on the scale lengths as cells (microns) and biomacromolecules (nanometers). In this paper, we review the state of the art in bionanotechnology and bioMEMS (collectively BNM), including developments and challenges in the areas of BNM, such as microfluidic organ-on-chip devices, oral drug delivery, emerging technologies for managing infectious diseases, 3D printed microfluidic devices, AC electrokinetics, flexible MEMS devices, implantable microdevices, paper-based microfluidic platforms for cellular analysis, and wearable sensors for point-of-care testing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerard Cummins
- School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK.
| | - Abhishek Dutta
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Connecticut, USA.
| | - Eyad Hamad
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Applied Medical Sciences, German Jordanian University, Amman, Jordan.
| | - Michael Pycraft Hughes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Xingyu Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, China.
| | - Hyowon Hugh Lee
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Implantable Devices, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | | | | | | | - Jie Chen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Li Z, Li Q, Zhou C, Lu K, Liu Y, Xuan L, Wang X. Organoid-on-a-chip: Current challenges, trends, and future scope toward medicine. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2023; 17:051505. [PMID: 37900053 PMCID: PMC10613095 DOI: 10.1063/5.0171350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
In vitro organoid models, typically defined as 3D multicellular aggregates, have been extensively used as a promising tool in drug screening, disease progression research, and precision medicine. Combined with advanced microfluidics technique, organoid-on-a-chip can flexibly replicate in vivo organs within the biomimetic physiological microenvironment by accurately regulating different parameters, such as fluid conditions and concentration gradients of biochemical factors. Since engineered organ reconstruction has opened a new paradigm in biomedicine, innovative approaches are increasingly required in micro-nano fabrication, tissue construction, and development of pharmaceutical products. In this Perspective review, the advantages and characteristics of organoid-on-a-chip are first introduced. Challenges in current organoid culture, extracellular matrix building, and device manufacturing techniques are subsequently demonstrated, followed by potential alternative approaches, respectively. The future directions and emerging application scenarios of organoid-on-a-chip are finally prospected to further satisfy the clinical demands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhangjie Li
- Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Qinyu Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 999077 Hong Kong, China
| | - Chenyang Zhou
- Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Kangyi Lu
- Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yijun Liu
- Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Lian Xuan
- Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiaolin Wang
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Setty AA, Chiang TY, Santos JA, Isenberg BC, Vedula EM, Keating RA, Sutherland DW, Borenstein JT. Toward microfluidic integration of respiratory and renal organ support in a single cartridge. Artif Organs 2023; 47:1442-1451. [PMID: 37376726 DOI: 10.1111/aor.14603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extracorporeal organ assist devices provide lifesaving functions for acutely and chronically ill patients suffering from respiratory and renal failure, but their availability and use is severely limited by an extremely high level of operational complexity. While current hollow fiber-based devices provide high-efficiency blood gas transfer and waste removal in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and hemodialysis, respectively, their impact on blood health is often highly deleterious and difficult to control. Further challenges are encountered when integrating multiple organ support functions, as is often required when ECMO and ultrafiltration (UF) are combined to deal with fluid overload in critically ill patients, necessitating an unwieldy circuit containing two separate cartridges. METHODS We report the first laboratory demonstration of simultaneous blood gas oxygenation and fluid removal in single microfluidic circuit, an achievement enabled by the microchannel-based blood flow configuration of the device. Porcine blood is flowed through a stack of two microfluidic layers, one with a non-porous, gas-permeable silicone membrane separating blood and oxygen chambers, and the other containing a porous dialysis membrane separating blood and filtrate compartments. RESULTS High levels of oxygen transfer are measured across the oxygenator, while tunable rates of fluid removal, governed by the transmembrane pressure (TMP), are achieved across the UF layer. Key parameters including the blood flow rate, TMP and hematocrit are monitored and compared with computationally predicted performance metrics. CONCLUSIONS These results represent a model demonstration of a potential future clinical therapy where respiratory support and fluid removal are both realized through a single monolithic cartridge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aakash A Setty
- Bioengineering Division, Draper, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tzu Y Chiang
- Bioengineering Division, Draper, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jose A Santos
- Bioengineering Division, Draper, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Else M Vedula
- Bioengineering Division, Draper, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rose A Keating
- Bioengineering Division, Draper, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Li C, Holman JB, Shi Z, Qiu B, Ding W. On-chip modeling of tumor evolution: Advances, challenges and opportunities. Mater Today Bio 2023; 21:100724. [PMID: 37483380 PMCID: PMC10359640 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor evolution is the accumulation of various tumor cell behaviors from tumorigenesis to tumor metastasis and is regulated by the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the mechanism of solid tumor progression has not been completely elucidated, and thus, the development of tumor therapy is still limited. Recently, Tumor chips constructed by culturing tumor cells and stromal cells on microfluidic chips have demonstrated great potential in modeling solid tumors and visualizing tumor cell behaviors to exploit tumor progression. Herein, we review the methods of developing engineered solid tumors on microfluidic chips in terms of tumor types, cell resources and patterns, the extracellular matrix and the components of the TME, and summarize the recent advances of microfluidic chips in demonstrating tumor cell behaviors, including proliferation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, migration, intravasation, extravasation and immune escape of tumor cells. We also outline the combination of tumor organoids and microfluidic chips to elaborate tumor organoid-on-a-chip platforms, as well as the practical limitations that must be overcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chengpan Li
- Department of Electronic Engineering and Information Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, China
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, China
| | - Joseph Benjamin Holman
- Department of Electronic Engineering and Information Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, China
| | - Zhengdi Shi
- Department of Electronic Engineering and Information Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, China
| | - Bensheng Qiu
- Department of Electronic Engineering and Information Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, China
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, China
| | - Weiping Ding
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230001, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Peng AY, Lee BE. Microphysiological Systems for Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Development. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023:e2300077. [PMID: 37409385 PMCID: PMC10770294 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy focuses on the use of patients' adaptive immune systems to combat cancer. In the past decade, FDA has approved many immunotherapy products for cancer patients who suffer from primary tumors, tumor relapse, and metastases. However, these immunotherapies still show resistance in many patients and often lead to inconsistent responses in patients due to variations in tumor genetic mutations and tumor immune microenvironment. Microfluidics-based organ-on-a-chip technologies or microphysiological systems have opened new ways that can provide relatively fast screening for personalized immunotherapy and help researchers and clinicians understand tumor-immune interactions in a patient-specific manner. They also have the potential to overcome the limitations of traditional drug screening and testing, given the models provide a more realistic 3D microenvironment with better controllability, reproducibility, and physiological relevance. This review focuses on the cutting-edge microphysiological organ-on-a-chip devices developed in recent years for studying cancer immunity and testing cancer immunotherapeutic agents, as well as some of the largest challenges of translating this technology to clinical applications in immunotherapy and personalized medicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A. Yansong Peng
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - B. Esak Lee
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Wu KZ, Adine C, Mitriashkin A, Aw BJJ, Iyer NG, Fong ELS. Making In Vitro Tumor Models Whole Again. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2202279. [PMID: 36718949 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202202279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
As a reductionist approach, patient-derived in vitro tumor models are inherently still too simplistic for personalized drug testing as they do not capture many characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME), such as tumor architecture and stromal heterogeneity. This is especially problematic for assessing stromal-targeting drugs such as immunotherapies in which the density and distribution of immune and other stromal cells determine drug efficacy. On the other end, in vivo models are typically costly, low-throughput, and time-consuming to establish. Ex vivo patient-derived tumor explant (PDE) cultures involve the culture of resected tumor fragments that potentially retain the intact TME of the original tumor. Although developed decades ago, PDE cultures have not been widely adopted likely because of their low-throughput and poor long-term viability. However, with growing recognition of the importance of patient-specific TME in mediating drug response, especially in the field of immune-oncology, there is an urgent need to resurrect these holistic cultures. In this Review, the key limitations of patient-derived tumor explant cultures are outlined and technologies that have been developed or could be employed to address these limitations are discussed. Engineered holistic tumor explant cultures may truly realize the concept of personalized medicine for cancer patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kenny Zhuoran Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119276, Singapore
| | - Christabella Adine
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119276, Singapore
| | - Aleksandr Mitriashkin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119276, Singapore
| | - Benjamin Jun Jie Aw
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119276, Singapore
| | - N Gopalakrishna Iyer
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169610, Singapore
| | - Eliza Li Shan Fong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119276, Singapore
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
- Cancer Science Institute (CSI), National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Zhou L, Liu L, Chang MA, Ma C, Chen W, Chen P. Spatiotemporal dissection of tumor microenvironment via in situ sensing and monitoring in tumor-on-a-chip. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 225:115064. [PMID: 36680970 PMCID: PMC9918721 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Real-time monitoring in the tumor microenvironment provides critical insights of cancer progression and mechanistic understanding of responses to cancer treatments. However, clinical challenges and significant questions remain regarding assessment of limited clinical tissue samples, establishment of validated, controllable pre-clinical cancer models, monitoring of static versus dynamic markers, and the translation of insights gained from in vitro tumor microenvironments to systematic investigation and understanding in clinical practice. State-of-art tumor-on-a-chip strategies will be reviewed herein, and emerging real-time sensing and monitoring platforms for on-chip analysis of tumor microenvironment will also be examined. The integration of the sensors with tumor-on-a-chip platforms to provide spatiotemporal information of the tumor microenvironment and the associated challenges will be further evaluated. Though optimal integrated systems for in situ monitoring are still in evolution, great promises lie ahead that will open new paradigm for rapid, comprehensive analysis of cancer development and assist clinicians with powerful tools to guide the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment course in cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lang Zhou
- Materials Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Lunan Liu
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
| | - Muammar Ali Chang
- Materials Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Chao Ma
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
| | - Weiqiang Chen
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
| | - Pengyu Chen
- Materials Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
El Harane S, Zidi B, El Harane N, Krause KH, Matthes T, Preynat-Seauve O. Cancer Spheroids and Organoids as Novel Tools for Research and Therapy: State of the Art and Challenges to Guide Precision Medicine. Cells 2023; 12:cells12071001. [PMID: 37048073 PMCID: PMC10093533 DOI: 10.3390/cells12071001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Spheroids and organoids are important novel players in medical and life science research. They are gradually replacing two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures. Indeed, three-dimensional (3D) cultures are closer to the in vivo reality and open promising perspectives for academic research, drug screening, and personalized medicine. A large variety of cells and tissues, including tumor cells, can be the starting material for the generation of 3D cultures, including primary tissues, stem cells, or cell lines. A panoply of methods has been developed to generate 3D structures, including spontaneous or forced cell aggregation, air-liquid interface conditions, low cell attachment supports, magnetic levitation, and scaffold-based technologies. The choice of the most appropriate method depends on (i) the origin of the tissue, (ii) the presence or absence of a disease, and (iii) the intended application. This review summarizes methods and approaches for the generation of cancer spheroids and organoids, including their advantages and limitations. We also highlight some of the challenges and unresolved issues in the field of cancer spheroids and organoids, and discuss possible therapeutic applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanae El Harane
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bochra Zidi
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nadia El Harane
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Karl-Heinz Krause
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Matthes
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Preynat-Seauve
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Experimental Cell Therapy, Department of Diagnostics, Geneva University Hospitals, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Markoski A, Wong IY, Borenstein JT. Dynamic Tumor Perfusion and Real-Time Monitoring in a Multiplexed 3D Printed Microdevice. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2679:287-304. [PMID: 37300624 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3271-0_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Stereolithography based additive manufacturing ("3D printing") has become a useful tool for the development of novel microfluidic in vitro platforms. This method of manufacturing can reduce production time while allowing for rapid design iteration and complex monolithic structures. The platform described in this chapter has been designed for the capture and evaluation of cancer spheroids in perfusion. Spheroids are created in 3D Petri dishes, stained, and loaded into these 3D printed devices and imaged over time under flow conditions. This design allows for active perfusion into complex 3D cellular constructs resulting in longer viability while providing results which better mimic in vivo conditions compared to traditional monolayer static culture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex Markoski
- Draper, Bioengineering Division, Cambridge, MA, USA
- School of Engineering, Center for Biomedical Engineering, and Legoretta Cancer Center. Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Ian Y Wong
- School of Engineering, Center for Biomedical Engineering, and Legoretta Cancer Center. Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Zhang Y, Wang X, Yang Y, Yan J, Xiong Y, Wang W, Lei J, Jiang T. Recapitulating essential pathophysiological characteristics in lung-on-a-chip for disease studies. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1093460. [PMID: 36926347 PMCID: PMC10012278 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1093460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung diseases have become a significant challenge to public healthcare worldwide, which stresses the necessity of developing effective biological models for pathophysiological and pharmacological studies of the human respiratory system. In recent years, lung-on-a-chip has been extensively developed as a potentially revolutionary respiratory model paradigm with high efficiency and improved accuracy, bridging the gap between cell culture and preclinical trials. The advantages of lung-on-a-chip technology derive from its capabilities in establishing 3D multicellular architectures and dynamic microphysiological environments. A critical issue in its development is utilizing such capabilities to recapitulate the essential components of the human respiratory system for effectively restoring physiological functions and illustrating disease progress. Here we present a review of lung-on-a-chip technology, highlighting various strategies for capturing lung physiological and pathological characteristics. The key pathophysiological characteristics of the lungs are examined, including the airways, alveoli, and alveolar septum. Accordingly, the strategies in lung-on-a-chip research to capture the essential components and functions of lungs are analyzed. Recent studies of pneumonia, lung cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and pulmonary fibrosis based on lung-on-a-chip are surveyed. Finally, cross-disciplinary approaches are proposed to foster the future development of lung-on-a-chip technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanning Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China.,State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xuejiao Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yaoqing Yang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing Yan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yanlu Xiong
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenchen Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jie Lei
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Ngan Ngo TK, Kuo CH, Tu TY. Recent advances in microfluidic-based cancer immunotherapy-on-a-chip strategies. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2023; 17:011501. [PMID: 36647540 PMCID: PMC9840534 DOI: 10.1063/5.0108792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Despite several extraordinary improvements in cancer immunotherapy, its therapeutic effectiveness against many distinct cancer types remains mostly limited and requires further study. Different microfluidic-based cancer immunotherapy-on-a-chip (ITOC) systems have been developed to help researchers replicate the tumor microenvironment and immune system. Numerous microfluidic platforms can potentially be used to perform various on-chip activities related to early clinical cancer immunotherapy processes, such as improving immune checkpoint blockade therapy, studying immune cell dynamics, evaluating cytotoxicity, and creating vaccines or organoid models from patient samples. In this review, we summarize the most recent advancements in the development of various microfluidic-based ITOC devices for cancer treatment niches and present future perspectives on microfluidic devices for immunotherapy research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thi Kim Ngan Ngo
- Biomedical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hsiang Kuo
- International Center for Wound Repair and Regeneration, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Yuan Tu
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Manduca N, Maccafeo E, De Maria R, Sistigu A, Musella M. 3D cancer models: One step closer to in vitro human studies. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1175503. [PMID: 37114038 PMCID: PMC10126361 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1175503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is the great breakthrough in cancer treatment as it displayed prolonged progression-free survival over conventional therapies, yet, to date, in only a minority of patients. In order to broad cancer immunotherapy clinical applicability some roadblocks need to be overcome, first among all the lack of preclinical models that faithfully depict the local tumor microenvironment (TME), which is known to dramatically affect disease onset, progression and response to therapy. In this review, we provide the reader with a detailed overview of current 3D models developed to mimick the complexity and the dynamics of the TME, with a focus on understanding why the TME is a major target in anticancer therapy. We highlight the advantages and translational potentials of tumor spheroids, organoids and immune Tumor-on-a-Chip models in disease modeling and therapeutic response, while outlining pending challenges and limitations. Thinking forward, we focus on the possibility to integrate the know-hows of micro-engineers, cancer immunologists, pharmaceutical researchers and bioinformaticians to meet the needs of cancer researchers and clinicians interested in using these platforms with high fidelity for patient-tailored disease modeling and drug discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Manduca
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Ester Maccafeo
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Ruggero De Maria
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario ‘A. Gemelli’ - Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Sistigu
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Martina Musella, ; ; Antonella Sistigu, ;
| | - Martina Musella
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Martina Musella, ; ; Antonella Sistigu, ;
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Liu W, Cui Y, Zheng X, Yu K, Sun G. Application status and future prospects of the PDX model in lung cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1098581. [PMID: 37035154 PMCID: PMC10080030 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1098581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent, fatal, and highly heterogeneous diseases that, seriously threaten human health. Lung cancer is primarily caused by the aberrant expression of multiple genes in the cells. Lung cancer treatment options include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. In recent decades, significant progress has been made in developing therapeutic agents for lung cancer as well as a biomarker for its early diagnosis. Nonetheless, the alternative applications of traditional pre-clinical models (cell line models) for diagnosis and prognosis prediction are constrained by several factors, including the lack of microenvironment components necessary to affect cancer biology and drug response, and the differences between laboratory and clinical results. The leading reason is that substantial shifts accrued to cell biological behaviors, such as cell proliferative, metastatic, invasive, and gene expression capabilities of different cancer cells after decades of growing indefinitely in vitro. Moreover, the introduction of individualized treatment has prompted the development of appropriate experimental models. In recent years, preclinical research on lung cancer has primarily relied on the patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) model. The PDX provides stable models with recapitulate characteristics of the parental tumor such as the histopathology and genetic blueprint. Additionally, PDXs offer valuable models for efficacy screening of new cancer drugs, thus, advancing the understanding of tumor biology. Concurrently, with the heightened interest in the PDX models, potential shortcomings have gradually emerged. This review summarizes the significant advantages of PDXs over the previous models, their benefits, potential future uses and interrogating open issues.
Collapse
|
17
|
Condelipes PGM, Fontes PM, Godinho-Santos A, Brás EJS, Marques V, Afonso MB, Rodrigues CMP, Chu V, Gonçalves J, Conde JP. Towards personalized antibody cancer therapy: development of a microfluidic cell culture device for antibody selection. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:4717-4728. [PMID: 36349999 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00918h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Antibody therapy has been one of the most successful therapies for a wide range of diseases, including cancer. One way of expediting antibody therapy development is through phage display technology. Here, by screening thousands of randomly assembled peptide sequences, it is possible to identify potential therapeutic candidates. Conventional screening technologies do not accommodate perfusion through the system, as is the case of standard plate-based cultures. This leads to a poor translation of the experimental results obtained in vitro when moving to a more physiologically relevant setting, such as the case of preclinical animal models or clinical trials. Microfluidics is a technology that can improve screening efficacy by replicating more physiologically relevant conditions such as shear stress. In this work, a polydimethylsiloxane/polystyrene-based microfluidic system for a continuously perfused culture of cancer cells is reported. Human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (HCT116) expressing CXCR4 were used as a cell target. Fluorescently labeled M13 phages anti-CXCR4 were used to study the efficiency of the microfluidic system as a tool to study the binding kinetics of the engineered bacteriophages. Using our microfluidic platform, we estimated a dissociation constant of 0.45 pM for the engineered phage. Additionally, a receptor internalization assay was developed using SDF-1α to verify phage specificity to the CXCR4 receptor. Upon receptor internalization there was a signal reduction, proving that the anti-CXCR4 fluorescently labelled M13 phages bound specifically to the CXCR4 receptor. The simplicity and ease of use of the microfluidic device design presented in this work can form the basis of a generic platform that facilitates the study and optimization of therapies based on interaction with biological entities such as mammalian cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro G M Condelipes
- Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores - Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias (INESC MN), Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Pedro Mendes Fontes
- Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores - Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias (INESC MN), Lisbon, Portugal
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Godinho-Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Eduardo J S Brás
- Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores - Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias (INESC MN), Lisbon, Portugal
- IBB - Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Vanda Marques
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Marta B Afonso
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cecília M P Rodrigues
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Virginia Chu
- Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores - Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias (INESC MN), Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João Gonçalves
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João Pedro Conde
- Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores - Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias (INESC MN), Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Padinharayil H, Alappat RR, Joy LM, Anilkumar KV, Wilson CM, George A, Valsala Gopalakrishnan A, Madhyastha H, Ramesh T, Sathiyamoorthi E, Lee J, Ganesan R. Advances in the Lung Cancer Immunotherapy Approaches. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1963. [PMID: 36423060 PMCID: PMC9693102 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the progress in the comprehension of LC progression, risk, immunologic control, and treatment choices, it is still the primary cause of cancer-related death. LC cells possess a very low and heterogeneous antigenicity, which allows them to passively evade the anticancer defense of the immune system by educating cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), regulatory T cells (Treg), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Though ICIs are an important candidate in first-line therapy, consolidation therapy, adjuvant therapy, and other combination therapies involving traditional therapies, the need for new predictive immunotherapy biomarkers remains. Furthermore, ICI-induced resistance after an initial response makes it vital to seek and exploit new targets to benefit greatly from immunotherapy. As ICIs, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI) are not ideal LC predictive markers, a multi-parameter analysis of the immune system considering tumor, stroma, and beyond can be the future-oriented predictive marker. The optimal patient selection with a proper adjuvant agent in immunotherapy approaches needs to be still revised. Here, we summarize advances in LC immunotherapy approaches with their clinical and preclinical trials considering cancer models and vaccines and the potential of employing immunology to predict immunotherapy effectiveness in cancer patients and address the viewpoints on future directions. We conclude that the field of lung cancer therapeutics can benefit from the use of combination strategies but with comprehension of their limitations and improvements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hafiza Padinharayil
- Jubilee Centre for Medical Research, Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, Thrissur 680005, Kerala, India
| | - Reema Rose Alappat
- Jubilee Centre for Medical Research, Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, Thrissur 680005, Kerala, India
| | - Liji Maria Joy
- Jubilee Centre for Medical Research, Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, Thrissur 680005, Kerala, India
| | - Kavya V. Anilkumar
- Jubilee Centre for Medical Research, Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, Thrissur 680005, Kerala, India
| | - Cornelia M. Wilson
- Life Sciences Industry Liaison Lab, School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Sandwich CT13 9ND, UK
| | - Alex George
- Jubilee Centre for Medical Research, Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, Thrissur 680005, Kerala, India
| | - Abilash Valsala Gopalakrishnan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Harishkumar Madhyastha
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-1692, Japan
| | - Thiyagarajan Ramesh
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 173, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Jintae Lee
- School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
| | - Raja Ganesan
- Institute for Liver and Digestive Diseases, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24253, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Zommiti M, Connil N, Tahrioui A, Groboillot A, Barbey C, Konto-Ghiorghi Y, Lesouhaitier O, Chevalier S, Feuilloley MGJ. Organs-on-Chips Platforms Are Everywhere: A Zoom on Biomedical Investigation. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:646. [PMID: 36354557 PMCID: PMC9687856 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9110646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the decades, conventional in vitro culture systems and animal models have been used to study physiology, nutrient or drug metabolisms including mechanical and physiopathological aspects. However, there is an urgent need for Integrated Testing Strategies (ITS) and more sophisticated platforms and devices to approach the real complexity of human physiology and provide reliable extrapolations for clinical investigations and personalized medicine. Organ-on-a-chip (OOC), also known as a microphysiological system, is a state-of-the-art microfluidic cell culture technology that sums up cells or tissue-to-tissue interfaces, fluid flows, mechanical cues, and organ-level physiology, and it has been developed to fill the gap between in vitro experimental models and human pathophysiology. The wide range of OOC platforms involves the miniaturization of cell culture systems and enables a variety of novel experimental techniques. These range from modeling the independent effects of biophysical forces on cells to screening novel drugs in multi-organ microphysiological systems, all within microscale devices. As in living biosystems, the development of vascular structure is the salient feature common to almost all organ-on-a-chip platforms. Herein, we provide a snapshot of this fast-evolving sophisticated technology. We will review cutting-edge developments and advances in the OOC realm, discussing current applications in the biomedical field with a detailed description of how this technology has enabled the reconstruction of complex multi-scale and multifunctional matrices and platforms (at the cellular and tissular levels) leading to an acute understanding of the physiopathological features of human ailments and infections in vitro.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Zommiti
- Research Unit Bacterial Communication and Anti-infectious Strategies (CBSA, UR4312), University of Rouen Normandie, 27000 Evreux, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Marc G. J. Feuilloley
- Research Unit Bacterial Communication and Anti-infectious Strategies (CBSA, UR4312), University of Rouen Normandie, 27000 Evreux, France
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Mansouri M, Ahmed A, Ahmad SD, McCloskey MC, Joshi IM, Gaborski TR, Waugh RE, McGrath JL, Day SW, Abhyankar VV. The Modular µSiM Reconfigured: Integration of Microfluidic Capabilities to Study In Vitro Barrier Tissue Models under Flow. Adv Healthc Mater 2022; 11:e2200802. [PMID: 35953453 PMCID: PMC9798530 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202200802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic tissue barrier models have emerged to address the lack of physiological fluid flow in conventional "open-well" Transwell-like devices. However, microfluidic techniques have not achieved widespread usage in bioscience laboratories because they are not fully compatible with traditional experimental protocols. To advance barrier tissue research, there is a need for a platform that combines the key advantages of both conventional open-well and microfluidic systems. Here, a plug-and-play flow module is developed to introduce on-demand microfluidic flow capabilities to an open-well device that features a nanoporous membrane and live-cell imaging capabilities. The magnetic latching assembly of this design enables bi-directional reconfiguration and allows users to conduct an experiment in an open-well format with established protocols and then add or remove microfluidic capabilities as desired. This work also provides an experimentally-validated flow model to select flow conditions based on the experimental needs. As a proof-of-concept, flow-induced alignment of endothelial cells and the expression of shear-sensitive gene targets are demonstrated, and the different phases of neutrophil transmigration across a chemically stimulated endothelial monolayer under flow conditions are visualized. With these experimental capabilities, it is anticipated that both engineering and bioscience laboratories will adopt this reconfigurable design due to the compatibility with standard open-well protocols.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mehran Mansouri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
| | - Adeel Ahmed
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
| | - S. Danial Ahmad
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Molly C. McCloskey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Indranil M. Joshi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
| | - Thomas R. Gaborski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
| | - Richard E. Waugh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - James L. McGrath
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Steven W. Day
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
| | - Vinay V. Abhyankar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Shen P, Jia Y, Shi S, Sun J, Han X. Analytical and biomedical applications of microfluidics in traditional Chinese medicine research. Trends Analyt Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
22
|
McCloskey MC, Zhang VZ, Ahmad SD, Walker S, Romanick SS, Awad HA, McGrath JL. Sourcing cells for in vitro models of human vascular barriers of inflammation. FRONTIERS IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 2022; 4:979768. [PMID: 36483299 PMCID: PMC9724237 DOI: 10.3389/fmedt.2022.979768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The vascular system plays a critical role in the progression and resolution of inflammation. The contributions of the vascular endothelium to these processes, however, vary with tissue and disease state. Recently, tissue chip models have emerged as promising tools to understand human disease and for the development of personalized medicine approaches. Inclusion of a vascular component within these platforms is critical for properly evaluating most diseases, but many models to date use "generic" endothelial cells, which can preclude the identification of biomedically meaningful pathways and mechanisms. As the knowledge of vascular heterogeneity and immune cell trafficking throughout the body advances, tissue chip models should also advance to incorporate tissue-specific cells where possible. Here, we discuss the known heterogeneity of leukocyte trafficking in vascular beds of some commonly modeled tissues. We comment on the availability of different tissue-specific cell sources for endothelial cells and pericytes, with a focus on stem cell sources for the full realization of personalized medicine. We discuss sources available for the immune cells needed to model inflammatory processes and the findings of tissue chip models that have used the cells to studying transmigration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Molly C. McCloskey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Victor Z. Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
- Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - S. Danial Ahmad
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Samuel Walker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Samantha S. Romanick
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Hani A. Awad
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
- Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
- Department of Orthopaedics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - James L. McGrath
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Zhang J, Tavakoli H, Ma L, Li X, Han L, Li X. Immunotherapy discovery on tumor organoid-on-a-chip platforms that recapitulate the tumor microenvironment. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 187:114365. [PMID: 35667465 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has achieved remarkable success over the past decade by modulating patients' own immune systems and unleashing pre-existing immunity. However, only a minority of cancer patients across different cancer types are able to benefit from immunotherapy treatment; moreover, among those small portions of patients with response, intrinsic and acquired resistance remains a persistent challenge. Because the tumor microenvironment (TME) is well recognized to play a critical role in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and the suppression of the immune system and responses to immunotherapy, understanding the interactions between the TME and the immune system is a pivotal step in developing novel and efficient cancer immunotherapies. With unique features such as low reagent consumption, dynamic and precise fluid control, versatile structures and function designs, and 3D cell co-culture, microfluidic tumor organoid-on-a-chip platforms that recapitulate key factors of the TME and the immune contexture have emerged as innovative reliable tools to investigate how tumors regulate their TME to counteract antitumor immunity and the mechanism of tumor resistance to immunotherapy. In this comprehensive review, we focus on recent advances in tumor organoid-on-a-chip platforms for studying the interaction between the TME and the immune system. We first review different factors of the TME that recent microfluidic in vitro systems reproduce to generate advanced tools to imitate the crosstalk between the TME and the immune system. Then, we discuss their applications in the assessment of different immunotherapies' efficacy using tumor organoid-on-a-chip platforms. Finally, we present an overview and the outlook of engineered microfluidic platforms in investigating the interactions between cancer and immune systems, and the adoption of patient-on-a-chip models in clinical applications toward personalized immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Hamed Tavakoli
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Lei Ma
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Xiaochun Li
- College of Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Lichun Han
- Xi'an Daxing Hospital, Xi'an 710016, China
| | - XiuJun Li
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA; Border Biomedical Research Center, Forensic Science, & Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Feng C, Takahashi K, Zhu J. Simple One-Step and Rapid Patterning of PDMS Microfluidic Device Wettability for PDMS Shell Production. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:891213. [PMID: 35519623 PMCID: PMC9061991 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.891213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Double emulsion (DE) droplets with controlled size and internal structure are a promising platform for biological analysis, chemical synthesis, and drug delivery systems. However, to further “democratize” their application, new methods that enable simple and precise spatial patterning of the surface wettability of droplet-generating microfluidic devices are still needed. Here, by leveraging the increase in hydrophilicity of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) due to the plasma-treatment used to permanently bond to glass, we developed a one-step method to selectively pattern the wettability of PDMS microfluidic devices for DE generation. Our results show that both Aquapel-treated and 1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorodecyltriethoxysilan (PFDTES)-treated devices are functionally showing the generality of our method. With the resulting microfluidic devices, both water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) and oil-in-water-in-oil (o/w/o) DE droplets can be produced. Using a PDMS mixture containing cross-linking agents, we formed PDMS microcapsules by solidifying the shell layer of water-in-PDMS-in-water DE droplets. We also characterize the morphological properties of the generated droplets/microcapsules. We anticipate the method developed in this work could be used in a broad range of applications of DE droplets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunying Feng
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Chunying Feng,
| | - Kohei Takahashi
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Jianan Zhu
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Shafiekhani S, Jafari A, Jafarzadeh L, Sadeghi V, Gheibi N. Predicting efficacy of 5-fluorouracil therapy via a mathematical model with fuzzy uncertain parameters. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SIGNALS & SENSORS 2022; 12:202-218. [PMID: 36120402 PMCID: PMC9480509 DOI: 10.4103/jmss.jmss_92_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Background: Due to imprecise/missing data used for parameterization of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), model parameters are uncertain. Uncertainty of parameters has hindered the application of ODEs that require accurate parameters. Methods: We extended an available ODE model of tumor-immune system interactions via fuzzy logic to illustrate the fuzzification procedure of an ODE model. The fuzzy ODE (FODE) model assigns a fuzzy number to the parameters, to capture parametric uncertainty. We used the FODE model to predict tumor and immune cell dynamics and to assess the efficacy of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy. Result: FODE model investigates how parametric uncertainty affects the uncertainty band of cell dynamics in the presence and absence of 5-FU treatment. In silico experiments revealed that the frequent 5-FU injection created a beneficial tumor microenvironment that exerted detrimental effects on tumor cells by enhancing the infiltration of CD8+ T cells, and natural killer cells, and decreasing that of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. The global sensitivity analysis was proved model robustness against random perturbation to parameters. Conclusion: ODE models with fuzzy uncertain kinetic parameters cope with insufficient/imprecise experimental data in the field of mathematical oncology and can predict cell dynamics uncertainty band.
Collapse
|
26
|
Liu L, Bi M, Wang Y, Liu J, Jiang X, Xu Z, Zhang X. Artificial intelligence-powered microfluidics for nanomedicine and materials synthesis. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:19352-19366. [PMID: 34812823 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr06195j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an emerging technology with great potential, and its robust calculation and analysis capabilities are unmatched by traditional calculation tools. With the promotion of deep learning and open-source platforms, the threshold of AI has also become lower. Combining artificial intelligence with traditional fields to create new fields of high research and application value has become a trend. AI has been involved in many disciplines, such as medicine, materials, energy, and economics. The development of AI requires the support of many kinds of data, and microfluidic systems can often mine object data on a large scale to support AI. Due to the excellent synergy between the two technologies, excellent research results have emerged in many fields. In this review, we briefly review AI and microfluidics and introduce some applications of their combination, mainly in nanomedicine and material synthesis. Finally, we discuss the development trend of the combination of the two technologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linbo Liu
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Mingcheng Bi
- Institute of Process Equipment, College of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P.R. China
| | - Yunhua Wang
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Junfeng Liu
- Institute of Process Equipment, College of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P.R. China
| | - Xiwen Jiang
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou university, Fuzhou 350108, P.R. China
| | - Zhongbin Xu
- Institute of Process Equipment, College of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P.R. China
| | - Xingcai Zhang
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- School of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Ramirez A, Amosu M, Lee P, Maisel K. Microfluidic systems to study tissue barriers to immunotherapy. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2021; 11:2414-2429. [PMID: 34215998 PMCID: PMC9059778 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-021-01016-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapies have been heavily explored in the last decade, ranging from new treatments for cancer to allergic diseases. These therapies target the immune system, a complex organ system consisting of tissues with intricate structures and cells with a multitude of functions. To better understand immune functions and develop better therapeutics, many cellular and 2-dimensional (2D) tissue models have been developed. However, research has demonstrated that the 3-dimensional (3D) tissue structure can significantly affect cellular functions, and this is not recapitulated by more traditional 2D models. Microfluidics has been used to design 3D tissue models that allow for intricate arrangements of cells and extracellular spaces, thus allowing for more physiologically relevant in vitro model systems. Here, we summarize the multitude of microfluidic devices designed to study the immune system with the ultimate goal to improve existing and design new immunotherapies. We have included models of the different immune organs, including bone marrow and lymph node (LN), models of immunity in diseases such as cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, and therapeutic models to test or engineer new immune-modulatory treatments. We particularly emphasize research on how microfluidic devices are used to better understand different physiological states and how interactions within the immune microenvironment can influence the efficacy of immunotherapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ann Ramirez
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Mayowa Amosu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Priscilla Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Katharina Maisel
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Ando Y, Mariano C, Shen K. Engineered in vitro tumor models for cell-based immunotherapy. Acta Biomater 2021; 132:345-359. [PMID: 33857692 PMCID: PMC8434941 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.03.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Tumor immunotherapy is rapidly evolving as one of the major pillars of cancer treatment. Cell-based immunotherapies, which utilize patient's own immune cells to eliminate cancer cells, have shown great promise in treating a range of malignancies, especially those of hematopoietic origins. However, their performance on a broader spectrum of solid tumor types still fall short of expectations in the clinical stage despite promising preclinical assessments. In this review, we briefly introduce cell-based immunotherapies and the inhibitory mechanisms in tumor microenvironments that may have contributed to this discrepancy. Specifically, a major obstacle to the clinical translation of cell-based immunotherapies is in the lack of preclinical models that can accurately assess the efficacies and mechanisms of these therapies in a (patho-)physiologically relevant manner. Lately, tissue engineering and organ-on-a-chip tools and microphysiological models have allowed for more faithful recapitulation of the tumor microenvironments, by incorporating crucial tumor tissue features such as cellular phenotypes, tissue architecture, extracellular matrix, physical parameters, and their dynamic interactions. This review summarizes the existing engineered tumor models with a focus on tumor immunology and cell-based immunotherapy. We also discuss some key considerations for the future development of engineered tumor models for immunotherapeutics. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Cell-based immunotherapies have shown great promise in treating hematological malignancies and some epithelial tumors. However, their performance on a broader spectrum of solid tumor types still fall short of expectations. Major obstacles include the inhibitory mechanisms in tumor microenvironments (TME) and the lack of preclinical models that can accurately assess the efficacies and mechanisms of cellular therapies in a (patho-)physiologically relevant manner. In this review, we introduce recent progress in tissue engineering and microphysiological models for more faithful recapitulation of TME for cell-based immunotherapies, and some key considerations for the future development of engineered tumor models. This overview will provide a better understanding on the role of engineered models in accelerating immunotherapeutic discoveries and clinical translations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Ando
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - Chelsea Mariano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States
| | - Keyue Shen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States; Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, United States; USC Stem Cell, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Neves ER, Harley BAC, Pedron S. Microphysiological systems to study tumor-stroma interactions in brain cancer. Brain Res Bull 2021; 174:220-229. [PMID: 34166771 PMCID: PMC8324563 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Brain tumors still lack effective treatments, and the mechanisms of tumor progression and therapeutic resistance are unclear. Multiple parameters affect cancer prognosis (e.g., type and grade, age, location, size, and genetic mutations) and election of suitable treatments is based on preclinical models and clinical data. However, most candidate drugs fail in human trials due to inefficacy. Cell lines and tissue culture plates do not provide physiologically relevant environments, and animal models are not able to adequately mimic characteristics of disease in humans. Therefore, increasing technological advances are focusing on in vitro and computational modeling to increase the throughput and predicting capabilities of preclinical systems. The extensive use of these therapeutic agents requires a more profound understanding of the tumor-stroma interactions, including neural tissue, extracellular matrix, blood-brain barrier, astrocytes and microglia. Microphysiological brain tumor models offer physiologically relevant vascularized 'minitumors' that can help deciphering disease mechanisms, accelerating the drug discovery and predicting patient's response to anticancer treatments. This article reviews progress in tumor-on-a-chip platforms that are designed to comprehend the particular roles of stromal cells in the brain tumor microenvironment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edward R Neves
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Brendan A C Harley
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Sara Pedron
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Bērziņa S, Harrison A, Taly V, Xiao W. Technological Advances in Tumor-On-Chip Technology: From Bench to Bedside. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13164192. [PMID: 34439345 PMCID: PMC8394443 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13164192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Various 3D in vitro tumor models are rapidly advancing cancer research. Unlike animal models, they can be produced quickly and are amenable to high-throughput studies. Growing tumor spheroids in microfluidic tumor-on-chip platforms has particularly elevated the capabilities of such models. Tumor-on-chip devices can mimic multiple aspects of the dynamic in vivo tumor microenvironment in a precisely controlled manner. Moreover, new technologies for the on- and off-chip analysis of these tumor mimics are continuously emerging. There is thus an urgent need to review the latest developments in this rapidly progressing field. Here, we present an overview of the technological advances in tumor-on-chip technology by reviewing state-of-the-art tools for on-chip analysis. In particular, we evaluate the potential for tumor-on-chip technology to guide personalized cancer therapies. We strive to appeal to cancer researchers and biomedical engineers alike, informing on current progress, while provoking thought on the outstanding developments needed to achieve clinical-stage research. Abstract Tumor-on-chip technology has cemented its importance as an in vitro tumor model for cancer research. Its ability to recapitulate different elements of the in vivo tumor microenvironment makes it promising for translational medicine, with potential application in enabling personalized anti-cancer therapies. Here, we provide an overview of the current technological advances for tumor-on-chip generation. To further elevate the functionalities of the technology, these approaches need to be coupled with effective analysis tools. This aspect of tumor-on-chip technology is often neglected in the current literature. We address this shortcoming by reviewing state-of-the-art on-chip analysis tools for microfluidic tumor models. Lastly, we focus on the current progress in tumor-on-chip devices using patient-derived samples and evaluate their potential for clinical research and personalized medicine applications.
Collapse
|
31
|
Organ-on-chip applications in drug discovery: an end user perspective. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:1881-1890. [PMID: 34397080 PMCID: PMC8421049 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Organ-on-chip (OoC) systems are in vitro microfluidic models that mimic the microstructures, functions and physiochemical environments of whole living organs more accurately than two-dimensional models. While still in their infancy, OoCs are expected to bring ground-breaking benefits to a myriad of applications, enabling more human-relevant candidate drug efficacy and toxicity studies, and providing greater insights into mechanisms of human disease. Here, we explore a selection of applications of OoC systems. The future directions and scope of implementing OoCs across the drug discovery process are also discussed.
Collapse
|
32
|
Del Piccolo N, Shirure VS, Bi Y, Goedegebuure SP, Gholami S, Hughes CC, Fields RC, George SC. Tumor-on-chip modeling of organ-specific cancer and metastasis. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 175:113798. [PMID: 34015419 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Every year, cancer claims millions of lives around the globe. Unfortunately, model systems that accurately mimic human oncology - a requirement for the development of more effective therapies for these patients - remain elusive. Tumor development is an organ-specific process that involves modification of existing tissue features, recruitment of other cell types, and eventual metastasis to distant organs. Recently, tissue engineered microfluidic devices have emerged as a powerful in vitro tool to model human physiology and pathology with organ-specificity. These organ-on-chip platforms consist of cells cultured in 3D hydrogels and offer precise control over geometry, biological components, and physiochemical properties. Here, we review progress towards organ-specific microfluidic models of the primary and metastatic tumor microenvironments. Despite the field's infancy, these tumor-on-chip models have enabled discoveries about cancer immunobiology and response to therapy. Future work should focus on the development of autologous or multi-organ systems and inclusion of the immune system.
Collapse
|
33
|
Liu Y, Sun L, Zhang H, Shang L, Zhao Y. Microfluidics for Drug Development: From Synthesis to Evaluation. Chem Rev 2021; 121:7468-7529. [PMID: 34024093 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Drug development is a long process whose main content includes drug synthesis, drug delivery, and drug evaluation. Compared with conventional drug development procedures, microfluidics has emerged as a revolutionary technology in that it offers a miniaturized and highly controllable environment for bio(chemical) reactions to take place. It is also compatible with analytical strategies to implement integrated and high-throughput screening and evaluations. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the entire microfluidics-based drug development system, from drug synthesis to drug evaluation. The challenges in the current status and the prospects for future development are also discussed. We believe that this review will promote communications throughout diversified scientific and engineering communities that will continue contributing to this burgeoning field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiao Liu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Institute of Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Lingyu Sun
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Institute of Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Institute of Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Luoran Shang
- Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Institute of Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Liu W, Hu R, Han K, Sun M, Liu D, Zhang J, Wang J. Parallel and large-scale antitumor investigation using stable chemical gradient and heterotypic three-dimensional tumor coculture in a multi-layered microfluidic device. Biotechnol J 2021; 16:e2000655. [PMID: 34218506 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202000655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer has been responsible for a large number of human deaths in the 21st century. Establishing a controllable, biomimetic, and large-scale analytical platform to investigate the tumor-associated pathophysiological and preclinical events, such as oncogenesis and chemotherapy, is necessary. METHODS AND RESULTS This study presents antitumor investigation in a parallel, large-scale, and tissue-mimicking manner based on well-constructed chemical gradients and heterotypic three-dimensional (3D) tumor cocultures using a multifunction-integrated device. The integrated microfluidic device was engineered to produce a controllable and steady chemical gradient by manipulative optimization. Array-like and size-homogeneous production of heterotypic 3D tumor cocultures with in vivo-like features, including similar tumor-stromal composition and functional phenotypic gradients of metabolic activity and viability, was successfully established. Furthermore, temporal, parallel, and high-throughput analyses of tumor behaviors in different antitumor stimulations were performed in a device based on the integrated operations involving gradient generation and coculture. CONCLUSION This achievement holds great potential for applications in the establishment of multifunctional tumor platforms to perform tissue-biomimetic neoplastic research and therapy assessment in the fields of oncology, bioengineering, and drug discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenming Liu
- School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,College of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Rui Hu
- School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Kai Han
- School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Meilin Sun
- School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Dan Liu
- School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jinwei Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jinyi Wang
- College of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Paterson K, Zanivan S, Glasspool R, Coffelt SB, Zagnoni M. Microfluidic technologies for immunotherapy studies on solid tumours. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:2306-2329. [PMID: 34085677 PMCID: PMC8204114 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc01305f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy is a powerful and targeted cancer treatment that exploits the body's immune system to attack and eliminate cancerous cells. This form of therapy presents the possibility of long-term control and prevention of recurrence due to the memory capabilities of the immune system. Various immunotherapies are successful in treating haematological malignancies and have dramatically improved outcomes in melanoma. However, tackling other solid tumours is more challenging, mostly because of the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment (TME). Current in vitro models based on traditional 2D cell monolayers and animal models, such as patient-derived xenografts, have limitations in their ability to mimic the complexity of the human TME. As a result, they have inadequate translational value and can be poorly predictive of clinical outcome. Thus, there is a need for robust in vitro preclinical tools that more faithfully recapitulate human solid tumours to test novel immunotherapies. Microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip technologies offer opportunities, especially when performing mechanistic studies, to understand the role of the TME in immunotherapy, and to expand the experimental throughput when using patient-derived tissue through its miniaturization capabilities. This review first introduces the basic concepts of immunotherapy, presents the current preclinical approaches used in immuno-oncology for solid tumours and then discusses the underlying challenges. We provide a rationale for using microfluidic-based approaches, highlighting the most recent microfluidic technologies and methodologies that have been used for studying cancer-immune cell interactions and testing the efficacy of immunotherapies in solid tumours. Ultimately, we discuss achievements and limitations of the technology, commenting on potential directions for incorporating microfluidic technologies in future immunotherapy studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Paterson
- Centre for Microsystems and Photonics, EEE Department, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
| | - S Zanivan
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK and Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | - R Glasspool
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK and Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, UK
| | - S B Coffelt
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK and Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | - M Zagnoni
- Centre for Microsystems and Photonics, EEE Department, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Maulana TI, Kromidas E, Wallstabe L, Cipriano M, Alb M, Zaupa C, Hudecek M, Fogal B, Loskill P. Immunocompetent cancer-on-chip models to assess immuno-oncology therapy. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 173:281-305. [PMID: 33798643 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The advances in cancer immunotherapy come with several obstacles, limiting its widespread use and benefits so far only to a small subset of patients. One of the underlying challenges remains to be the lack of representative nonclinical models that translate to human immunity and are able to predict clinical efficacy and safety outcomes. In recent years, immunocompetent Cancer-on-Chip models emerge as an alternative human-based platform that enables the integration and manipulation of complex tumor microenvironment. In this review, we discuss novel opportunities offered by Cancer-on-Chip models to advance (mechanistic) immuno-oncology research, ranging from design flexibility to multimodal analysis approaches. We then exemplify their (potential) applications for the research and development of adoptive cell therapy, immune checkpoint therapy, cytokine therapy, oncolytic virus, and cancer vaccines.
Collapse
|
37
|
Markoski A, Wong IY, Borenstein JT. 3D Printed Monolithic Device for the Microfluidic Capture, Perfusion, and Analysis of Multicellular Spheroids. FRONTIERS IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 2021; 3:646441. [PMID: 35047914 PMCID: PMC8757790 DOI: 10.3389/fmedt.2021.646441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Microfluidic systems for the analysis of tissue models of cancer and other diseases are rapidly emerging, with an increasing recognition that perfusion is required to recapitulate critical aspects of the in vivo microenvironment. Here we report on the first application of 3D printing for the fabrication of monolithic devices suitable for capturing and imaging tumor spheroids under dynamic perfusion flow. Resolution of the printing process has been refined to a level sufficient to obtain high precision features that enable capture and retention of tumor spheroids in a perfusion flow stream that provides oxygen and nutrient requirements sufficient to sustain viability over several days. Use of 3D printing enables rapid design cycles, based on optimization of computational fluid dynamic analyses, much more rapidly than conventional techniques involving replica molding from photolithographic masters. Ultimately, these prototype design and fabrication approaches may be useful in generating highly multiplexed monolithic arrays capable of supporting rapid and efficient evaluation of therapeutic candidates in the cancer drug discovery process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex Markoski
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Bio Instrumentation, Draper, Bioengineering Division, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Joint Program in Cancer Biology, Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Ian Y. Wong
- Joint Program in Cancer Biology, Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
- *Correspondence: Ian Y. Wong
| | - Jeffrey T. Borenstein
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Bio Instrumentation, Draper, Bioengineering Division, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Jeffrey T. Borenstein
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Graney PL, Tavakol DN, Chramiec A, Ronaldson-Bouchard K, Vunjak-Novakovic G. Engineered models of tumor metastasis with immune cell contributions. iScience 2021; 24:102179. [PMID: 33718831 PMCID: PMC7921600 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Most cancer deaths are due to tumor metastasis rather than the primary tumor. Metastasis is a highly complex and dynamic process that requires orchestration of signaling between the tumor, its local environment, distant tissue sites, and immune system. Animal models of cancer metastasis provide the necessary systemic environment but lack control over factors that regulate cancer progression and often do not recapitulate the properties of human cancers. Bioengineered "organs-on-a-chip" that incorporate the primary tumor, metastatic tissue targets, and microfluidic perfusion are now emerging as quantitative human models of tumor metastasis. The ability of these systems to model tumor metastasis in individualized, patient-specific settings makes them uniquely suitable for studies of cancer biology and developmental testing of new treatments. In this review, we focus on human multi-organ platforms that incorporate circulating and tissue-resident immune cells in studies of tumor metastasis.
Collapse
|
39
|
Jalili-Firoozinezhad S, Miranda CC, Cabral JMS. Modeling the Human Body on Microfluidic Chips. Trends Biotechnol 2021; 39:838-852. [PMID: 33581889 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2021.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Animals often fail to faithfully mimic human diseases and drug toxicities, and most in vitro models are not complex enough to recapitulate human body function and pathophysiology. Organ-on-chip culture technology, however, offers a promising tool for the study of tissue development and homeostasis, which has brought us one step closer to performing human experimentation in vitro. To recapitulate the complex functionality of multiple organs at once, their respective on-chip models can be linked to create a functional human body-on-chip platform. Here, we highlight the advantages and translational potentials of body-on-chip platforms in disease modeling, therapeutic development, and personalized medicine. We provide the reader with current limitations of the body-on-chip approach and new ideas to address the pending issues moving forwards.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sasan Jalili-Firoozinezhad
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Cláudia C Miranda
- iBB - Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joaquim M S Cabral
- iBB - Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Shelton SE, Nguyen HT, Barbie DA, Kamm RD. Engineering approaches for studying immune-tumor cell interactions and immunotherapy. iScience 2021; 24:101985. [PMID: 33490895 PMCID: PMC7808917 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This review describes recent research that has advanced our understanding of the role of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) using advanced 3D in vitro models and engineering approaches. The TME can hinder effective eradication of tumor cells by the immune system, but immunotherapy has been able to reverse this effect in some cases. However, patient-to-patient variability in response suggests that we require deeper understanding of the mechanistic interactions between immune and tumor cells to improve response and develop novel therapeutics. Reconstruction of the TME using engineered 3D models allows high-resolution observation of cell interactions while allowing control of conditions such as hypoxia, matrix stiffness, and flow. Moreover, patient-derived organotypic models are an emerging tool for prediction of drug efficacy. This review highlights the importance of modeling and understanding the immune TME and describes new tools for identifying new biological targets, drug testing, and strategies for personalized medicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Shelton
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Huu Tuan Nguyen
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David A. Barbie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roger D. Kamm
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Parlato S, Grisanti G, Sinibaldi G, Peruzzi G, Casciola CM, Gabriele L. Tumor-on-a-chip platforms to study cancer-immune system crosstalk in the era of immunotherapy. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:234-253. [PMID: 33315027 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00799d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy is a powerful therapeutic approach able to re-educate the immune system to fight cancer. A key player in this process is the tumor microenvironment (TME), which is a dynamic entity characterized by a complex array of tumor and stromal cells as well as immune cell populations trafficking to the tumor site through the endothelial barrier. Recapitulating these multifaceted dynamics is critical for studying the intimate interactions between cancer and the immune system and to assess the efficacy of emerging immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and adoptive cell-based products. Microfluidic devices offer a unique technological approach to build tumor-on-a-chip reproducing the multiple layers of complexity of cancer-immune system crosstalk. Here, we seek to review the most important biological and engineering developments of microfluidic platforms for studying cancer-immune system interactions, in both solid and hematological tumors, highlighting the role of the vascular component in immune trafficking. Emphasis is given to image processing and related algorithms for real-time monitoring and quantitative evaluation of the cellular response to microenvironmental dynamic changes. The described approaches represent a valuable tool for preclinical evaluation of immunotherapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Parlato
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Mehta V, Rath SN. 3D printed microfluidic devices: a review focused on four fundamental manufacturing approaches and implications on the field of healthcare. Biodes Manuf 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42242-020-00112-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
|
43
|
Boucherit N, Gorvel L, Olive D. 3D Tumor Models and Their Use for the Testing of Immunotherapies. Front Immunol 2020; 11:603640. [PMID: 33362787 PMCID: PMC7758240 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.603640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, immunotherapy has become a powerful and evident tool in the fight against cancers. Notably, the rise of checkpoint blockade using monoclonal antibodies (anti-CTLA4, anti-PD1) to avoid interaction between inhibitory molecules allowed the betterment of patient care. Indeed, immunotherapies led to increased overall survival in forms of cutaneous melanoma or lung cancer. However, the percentage of patients responding varies from 20 to 40% depending on the type of cancer and on the expression of the target molecules by the tumor. This is due to the tumor microenvironment which allows the acquisition of resistance mechanisms to immunotherapies by tumor cells. These are closely linked to the architecture and cellular composition of the tumor microenvironment. This one acts on different parameters such as the immune cells infiltrate its composition and therefore, favors the recruitment of immunosuppressive cells as well as the tumor expression of checkpoint inhibitors such as Programmed Death Ligand-1 (PD-L1). Therefore, the analysis and modeling of the complexity of the microenvironment is an important parameter to consider, not only in the search for new therapies but also for the identification and stratification of patients likely to respond to immunotherapy. This is why the use of 3D culture models, reflecting the architecture and cellular composition of a tumor, is essential in immuno-oncology studies. Nowadays, there are several 3-D culture methods such as spheroids and organoids, which are applicable to immuno-oncology. In this review we evaluate 3D culture models as tools for the development of treatments in the field of immuno-oncology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Boucherit
- Cancer Research Center in Marseille, CRCM, Paoli Calmette Institute, Marseille, France
| | - Laurent Gorvel
- Cancer Research Center in Marseille, CRCM, Paoli Calmette Institute, Marseille, France
| | - Daniel Olive
- Cancer Research Center in Marseille, CRCM, Paoli Calmette Institute, Marseille, France
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Olivo Pimentel V, Yaromina A, Marcus D, Dubois LJ, Lambin P. A novel co-culture assay to assess anti-tumor CD8 + T cell cytotoxicity via luminescence and multicolor flow cytometry. J Immunol Methods 2020; 487:112899. [PMID: 33068606 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2020.112899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
T cell immunotherapies have shown great promise in patients with advanced cancer disease, revolutionizing treatment. T cell cytotoxicity is crucial in its efficacy, therefore developing ex vivo methods testing tumor and T cell interactions is pivotal. Increasing efforts have been made in developing co-culture assays with sophisticated materials and platforms aiming to mimic the tumor microenvironment (TME), but its complexity makes it difficult to develop the ideal model. In this study, we developed a simple co-culture assay, reproducible in any lab, but respecting the multicellular nature of the TME. Our goal is to combine in a single assay well-established techniques such as a luciferase assay for target cell viability analysis, a CD107a degranulation assay, and multicolor flow cytometry for the detection of cytokines and cytotoxicity markers. Cell suspensions of whole spleens and tumors containing splenic or tumor-infiltrating effector T cells of mice bearing Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) or CT26 colon carcinoma tumors treated with radiation alone or in combination with immunotherapies were used for co-culture. LLC and CT26 cell lines transduced with the firefly luciferase gene were used as target cells. We demonstrated that splenocytes and tumor-infiltrating T cells derived from mice treated with combination therapy were able to kill approximately 50% of target cells after 48 h of co-culture. This effect was tumor cell-specific and dependent on CD8+ T cells evidenced by in vitro CD8+ T cell depletion. Flow cytometry demonstrated increased expression of CD107a and production of granzyme B, IFNγ, and TNFα by CD8+ T cells. Our co-culture assay is therefore suitable as proof of principle for in vivo therapeutic studies testing immunotherapies, and specifically to assess the involvement of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in treatment response in LLC and CT26 tumor models. We also propose this assay as an ex vivo platform for high-throughput screening of immunomodulating agents to be tested in these two murine tumor models. This assay can be adapted to other tumor models after optimizations.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Animals
- Carcinoma, Lewis Lung/immunology
- Carcinoma, Lewis Lung/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Lewis Lung/pathology
- Carcinoma, Lewis Lung/therapy
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Coculture Techniques
- Colonic Neoplasms/immunology
- Colonic Neoplasms/metabolism
- Colonic Neoplasms/pathology
- Colonic Neoplasms/therapy
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
- Flow Cytometry
- Granzymes/metabolism
- Immunotherapy
- Interferon-gamma/metabolism
- Luciferases, Firefly/biosynthesis
- Luciferases, Firefly/genetics
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/immunology
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/metabolism
- Lysosomal Membrane Proteins/metabolism
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Proof of Concept Study
- Radiotherapy
- T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/metabolism
- Tumor Microenvironment
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Olivo Pimentel
- The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Ala Yaromina
- The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Damiënne Marcus
- The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Ludwig J Dubois
- The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Philippe Lambin
- The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW - School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Seyfoori A, Barough MS, Amereh M, Jush BK, Lum JJ, Akbari M. Bioengineered tissue models for the development of dynamic immuno-associated tumor models and high-throughput immunotherapy cytotoxicity assays. Drug Discov Today 2020; 26:455-473. [PMID: 33253917 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is rapidly developing, with numerous therapies approved over the past decade and more therapies expected to gain approval in the future. However, immunotherapy of solid tumors has been less successful because immunosuppressive barriers limit immune cell trafficking and function against cancer cells. Interactions between suppressive immune cells, cytokines, and inhibitory factors are central to cancer immunotherapy approaches. In this review, we discuss recent advances in utilizing microfluidic platforms for understanding cancer-suppressive immune system interactions. Dendritic cell (DC)-mediated tumor models, infiltrated lymphocyte-mediated tumor models [e.g., natural killer (NK) cells, T cells, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, and macrophages], monocyte-mediated tumor models, and immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) tumor models are among the various bioengineered immune cell-cancer cell interactions that we reviewed herein.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amir Seyfoori
- Laboratory for Innovations in Micro Engineering (LiME), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada
| | | | - Meitham Amereh
- Laboratory for Innovations in Micro Engineering (LiME), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Bardia Khun Jush
- Laboratory for Innovations in Micro Engineering (LiME), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Julian J Lum
- Trev and Joyce Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer, Victoria, BC V8R 6V5, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Mohsen Akbari
- Laboratory for Innovations in Micro Engineering (LiME), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada; Center for Biomedical Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada; Center for Advanced Materials and Related Technologies (CAMTEC), University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Morsink MAJ, Willemen NGA, Leijten J, Bansal R, Shin SR. Immune Organs and Immune Cells on a Chip: An Overview of Biomedical Applications. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11090849. [PMID: 32932680 PMCID: PMC7570325 DOI: 10.3390/mi11090849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the immune system is of great importance for the development of drugs and the design of medical implants. Traditionally, two-dimensional static cultures have been used to investigate the immune system in vitro, while animal models have been used to study the immune system’s function and behavior in vivo. However, these conventional models do not fully emulate the complexity of the human immune system or the human in vivo microenvironment. Consequently, many promising preclinical findings have not been reproduced in human clinical trials. Organ-on-a-chip platforms can provide a solution to bridge this gap by offering human micro-(patho)physiological systems in which the immune system can be studied. This review provides an overview of the existing immune-organs-on-a-chip platforms, with a special emphasis on interorgan communication. In addition, future challenges to develop a comprehensive immune system-on-chip model are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margaretha A. J. Morsink
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; (M.A.J.M.); (N.G.A.W.)
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands;
- Translational Liver Research, Department of Medical Cell BioPhysics, Technical Medical Centre, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands;
| | - Niels G. A. Willemen
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; (M.A.J.M.); (N.G.A.W.)
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands;
| | - Jeroen Leijten
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands;
| | - Ruchi Bansal
- Translational Liver Research, Department of Medical Cell BioPhysics, Technical Medical Centre, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands;
| | - Su Ryon Shin
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; (M.A.J.M.); (N.G.A.W.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-617-768-8320
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Maharjan S, Cecen B, Zhang YS. 3D Immunocompetent Organ-on-a-Chip Models. SMALL METHODS 2020; 4:2000235. [PMID: 33072861 PMCID: PMC7567338 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202000235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, engineering of various human tissues in microphysiologically relevant platforms, known as organs-on-chips (OOCs), has been explored to establish in vitro tissue models that recapitulate the microenvironments found in native organs and tissues. However, most of these models have overlooked the important roles of immune cells in maintaining tissue homeostasis under physiological conditions and in modulating the tissue microenvironments during pathophysiology. Significantly, gradual progress is being made in the development of more sophisticated microphysiologically relevant human-based OOC models that allow the studies of the key biophysiological aspects of specific tissues or organs, interactions between cells (parenchymal, vascular, and immune cells) and their extracellular matrix molecules, effects of native tissue architectures (geometry, dynamic flow or mechanical forces) on tissue functions, as well as unravelling the mechanism underlying tissue-specific diseases and drug testing. In this Progress Report, we discuss the different components of the immune system, as well as immune OOC platforms and immunocompetent OOC approaches that have simulated one or more components of the immune system. We also outline the challenges to recreate a fully functional tissue system in vitro with a focus on the incorporation of the immune system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sushila Maharjan
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Berivan Cecen
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Yu Shrike Zhang
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Cui X, Ma C, Vasudevaraja V, Serrano J, Tong J, Peng Y, Delorenzo M, Shen G, Frenster J, Morales RTT, Qian W, Tsirigos A, Chi AS, Jain R, Kurz SC, Sulman EP, Placantonakis DG, Snuderl M, Chen W. Dissecting the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments in Glioblastoma-on-a-Chip for optimized PD-1 immunotherapy. eLife 2020; 9:52253. [PMID: 32909947 PMCID: PMC7556869 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) checkpoint immunotherapy efficacy remains unpredictable in glioblastoma (GBM) patients due to the genetic heterogeneity and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments. Here, we report a microfluidics-based, patient-specific 'GBM-on-a-Chip' microphysiological system to dissect the heterogeneity of immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments and optimize anti-PD-1 immunotherapy for different GBM subtypes. Our clinical and experimental analyses demonstrated that molecularly distinct GBM subtypes have distinct epigenetic and immune signatures that may lead to different immunosuppressive mechanisms. The real-time analysis in GBM-on-a-Chip showed that mesenchymal GBM niche attracted low number of allogeneic CD154+CD8+ T-cells but abundant CD163+ tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and expressed elevated PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoints and TGF-β1, IL-10, and CSF-1 cytokines compared to proneural GBM. To enhance PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab efficacy, we co-administered a CSF-1R inhibitor BLZ945 to ablate CD163+ M2-TAMs and strengthened CD154+CD8+ T-cell functionality and GBM apoptosis on-chip. Our ex vivo patient-specific GBM-on-a-Chip provides an avenue for a personalized screening of immunotherapies for GBM patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Cui
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chao Ma
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, United States
| | | | - Jonathan Serrano
- Department of Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Jie Tong
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, United States
| | - Yansong Peng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, United States
| | - Michael Delorenzo
- Department of Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Guomiao Shen
- Department of Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Joshua Frenster
- Stem Cell Biology Program, NYU School of Medicine, New York, United States
| | | | - Weiyi Qian
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, United States
| | | | - Andrew S Chi
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States.,Department of Neurology, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Rajan Jain
- Department of Neuroradiology, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States.,Department of Neurosurgery, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Sylvia C Kurz
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States.,Department of Neurosurgery, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Erik P Sulman
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States.,Department of Radiation Oncology, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Dimitris G Placantonakis
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States.,Department of Neurosurgery, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Matija Snuderl
- Department of Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States.,Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Weiqiang Chen
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, United States.,Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Campbell SB, Wu Q, Yazbeck J, Liu C, Okhovatian S, Radisic M. Beyond Polydimethylsiloxane: Alternative Materials for Fabrication of Organ-on-a-Chip Devices and Microphysiological Systems. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2020; 7:2880-2899. [PMID: 34275293 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c00640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is the predominant material used for organ-on-a-chip devices and microphysiological systems (MPSs) due to its ease-of-use, elasticity, optical transparency, and inexpensive microfabrication. However, the absorption of small hydrophobic molecules by PDMS and the limited capacity for high-throughput manufacturing of PDMS-laden devices severely limit the application of these systems in personalized medicine, drug discovery, in vitro pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeling, and the investigation of cellular responses to drugs. Consequently, the relatively young field of organ-on-a-chip devices and MPSs is gradually beginning to make the transition to alternative, nonabsorptive materials for these crucial applications. This review examines some of the first steps that have been made in the development of organ-on-a-chip devices and MPSs composed of such alternative materials, including elastomers, hydrogels, thermoplastic polymers, and inorganic materials. It also provides an outlook on where PDMS-alternative devices are trending and the obstacles that must be overcome in the development of versatile devices based on alternative materials to PDMS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott B Campbell
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Qinghua Wu
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Joshua Yazbeck
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Chuan Liu
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Sargol Okhovatian
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Milica Radisic
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada.,Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada.,Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Modeling Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Efficacy in Syngeneic Mouse Tumors in an Ex Vivo Immuno-Oncology Dynamic Environment. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21186478. [PMID: 32899865 PMCID: PMC7555450 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune checkpoint blockade represents a revolution in cancer therapy, with the potential to increase survival for many patients for whom current treatments are not effective. However, response rates to current immune checkpoint inhibitors vary widely between patients and different types of cancer, and the mechanisms underlying these varied responses are poorly understood. Insights into the antitumor activities of checkpoint inhibitors are often obtained using syngeneic mouse models, which provide an in vivo preclinical basis for predicting efficacy in human clinical trials. Efforts to establish in vitro syngeneic mouse equivalents, which could increase throughput and permit real-time evaluation of lymphocyte infiltration and tumor killing, have been hampered by difficulties in recapitulating the tumor microenvironment in laboratory systems. Here, we describe a multiplex in vitro system that overcomes many of the deficiencies seen in current static histocultures, which we applied to the evaluation of checkpoint blockade in tumors derived from syngeneic mouse models. Our system enables both precision-controlled perfusion across biopsied tumor fragments and the introduction of checkpoint-inhibited tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in a single experiment. Through real-time high-resolution confocal imaging and analytics, we demonstrated excellent correlations between in vivo syngeneic mouse and in vitro tumor biopsy responses to checkpoint inhibitors, suggesting the use of this platform for higher throughput evaluation of checkpoint efficacy as a tool for drug development.
Collapse
|