Invited Talk

Flow, Deformation and Invasion of Tumor Spheroids on-a-Chip

Delft University of Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands

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Recreation of realistic 3D cancer spheroid (in vitro) models capable to trigger (tumor) cell migration and induce cellular deformation is a key step to understanding the tumor biomechanics and invasion under relevant physiological conditions. Recently, we have developed a programmable multifunctional micro-buckets-hydrogel platform for studying the 3D invasive migration of cancer cell spheroids (made from lung and breast cancer cells). In the micro-platform, cancer cell spheroids were controllably formed in micro-buckets and the invasive cell migration in the artificial ECM was demonstrated. Taking the unique advantage of the alterable functionalization on micro-buckets, the micro-bucket micro platform was further programmed and integrated with multiple functions to establish a more realistic and complex tumor microenvironment. Our results demonstrated that by using the micro-bucket platform, two modes of 3D invasive migration (including single-cell migration and collective cell migration) during Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) are observed. Next, we have developed an easy-to-use and high-throughput microfluidic device to investigate the biomechanical properties of tumor spheroids exposed to physical forces, strains, and confinements. The fabricated device allows an affordable approach for rapid loading of tumor cells and biomechanical quantification of tumor spheroids under physical forces. The developed micro-platform opens a new avenue for recreating 3D in vivo microenvironment and can provide more insights into cancer metastasis and the development of new therapeutics.