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Abizanda-Campo S, Virumbrales-Muñoz M, Humayun M, Marmol I, Beebe DJ, Ochoa I, Oliván S, Ayuso JM. Microphysiological systems for solid tumor immunotherapy: opportunities and challenges. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2023; 9:154. [PMID: 38106674 PMCID: PMC10724276 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00616-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy remains more effective for hematologic tumors than for solid tumors. One of the main challenges to immunotherapy of solid tumors is the immunosuppressive microenvironment these tumors generate, which limits the cytotoxic capabilities of immune effector cells (e.g., cytotoxic T and natural killer cells). This microenvironment is characterized by hypoxia, nutrient starvation, accumulated waste products, and acidic pH. Tumor-hijacked cells, such as fibroblasts, macrophages, and T regulatory cells, also contribute to this inhospitable microenvironment for immune cells by secreting immunosuppressive cytokines that suppress the antitumor immune response and lead to immune evasion. Thus, there is a strong interest in developing new drugs and cell formulations that modulate the tumor microenvironment and reduce tumor cell immune evasion. Microphysiological systems (MPSs) are versatile tools that may accelerate the development and evaluation of these therapies, although specific examples showcasing the potential of MPSs remain rare. Advances in microtechnologies have led to the development of sophisticated microfluidic devices used to recapitulate tumor complexity. The resulting models, also known as microphysiological systems (MPSs), are versatile tools with which to decipher the molecular mechanisms driving immune cell antitumor cytotoxicity, immune cell exhaustion, and immune cell exclusion and to evaluate new targeted immunotherapies. Here, we review existing microphysiological platforms to study immuno-oncological applications and discuss challenges and opportunities in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Abizanda-Campo
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI USA
- Tissue Microenvironment Lab (TME lab), Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IISA), Zaragoza, Spain
- Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red. Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - María Virumbrales-Muñoz
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Mouhita Humayun
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Ines Marmol
- Tissue Microenvironment Lab (TME lab), Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IISA), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - David J Beebe
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI USA
| | - Ignacio Ochoa
- Tissue Microenvironment Lab (TME lab), Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IISA), Zaragoza, Spain
- Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red. Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Sara Oliván
- Tissue Microenvironment Lab (TME lab), Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IISA), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Jose M Ayuso
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI USA
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2
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Xu H, Jia Z, Liu F, Li J, Huang Y, Jiang Y, Pu P, Shang T, Tang P, Zhou Y, Yang Y, Su J, Liu J. Biomarkers and experimental models for cancer immunology investigation. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e437. [PMID: 38045830 PMCID: PMC10693314 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.437] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid advancement of tumor immunotherapies poses challenges for the tools used in cancer immunology research, highlighting the need for highly effective biomarkers and reproducible experimental models. Current immunotherapy biomarkers encompass surface protein markers such as PD-L1, genetic features such as microsatellite instability, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and biomarkers in liquid biopsy such as circulating tumor DNAs. Experimental models, ranging from 3D in vitro cultures (spheroids, submerged models, air-liquid interface models, organ-on-a-chips) to advanced 3D bioprinting techniques, have emerged as valuable platforms for cancer immunology investigations and immunotherapy biomarker research. By preserving native immune components or coculturing with exogenous immune cells, these models replicate the tumor microenvironment in vitro. Animal models like syngeneic models, genetically engineered models, and patient-derived xenografts provide opportunities to study in vivo tumor-immune interactions. Humanized animal models further enable the simulation of the human-specific tumor microenvironment. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the advantages, limitations, and prospects of different biomarkers and experimental models, specifically focusing on the role of biomarkers in predicting immunotherapy outcomes and the ability of experimental models to replicate the tumor microenvironment. By integrating cutting-edge biomarkers and experimental models, this review serves as a valuable resource for accessing the forefront of cancer immunology investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hengyi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular OncologyNational Cancer Center /National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Ziqi Jia
- Department of Breast Surgical OncologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Fengshuo Liu
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Jiayi Li
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Department of Breast Surgical OncologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yansong Huang
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Department of Breast Surgical OncologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yiwen Jiang
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Pengming Pu
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Tongxuan Shang
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Pengrui Tang
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yongxin Zhou
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yufan Yang
- School of MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Jianzhong Su
- Oujiang LaboratoryZhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision, and Brain HealthWenzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Jiaqi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular OncologyNational Cancer Center /National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Department of Breast Surgical OncologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
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Juste-Lanas Y, Hervas-Raluy S, García-Aznar JM, González-Loyola A. Fluid flow to mimic organ function in 3D in vitro models. APL Bioeng 2023; 7:031501. [PMID: 37547671 PMCID: PMC10404142 DOI: 10.1063/5.0146000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Many different strategies can be found in the literature to model organ physiology, tissue functionality, and disease in vitro; however, most of these models lack the physiological fluid dynamics present in vivo. Here, we highlight the importance of fluid flow for tissue homeostasis, specifically in vessels, other lumen structures, and interstitium, to point out the need of perfusion in current 3D in vitro models. Importantly, the advantages and limitations of the different current experimental fluid-flow setups are discussed. Finally, we shed light on current challenges and future focus of fluid flow models applied to the newest bioengineering state-of-the-art platforms, such as organoids and organ-on-a-chip, as the most sophisticated and physiological preclinical platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Silvia Hervas-Raluy
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Research Institute of Aragón (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
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Kim S, Park J, Ho JN, Kim D, Lee S, Jeon JS. 3D vascularized microphysiological system for investigation of tumor-endothelial crosstalk in anti-cancer drug resistance. Biofabrication 2023; 15:045016. [PMID: 37567223 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/acef99] [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: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite the advantages of microfluidic system in drug screening, vascular systems responsible for the transport of drugs and nutrients have been hardly considered in the microfluidic-based chemotherapeutic screening. Considering the physiological characteristics of highly vascularized urinary tumors, we here investigated the chemotherapeutic response of bladder tumor cells using a vascularized tumor on a chip. The microfluidic chip was designed to have open-top region for tumor sample introduction and hydrophilic rail for spontaneous hydrogel patterning, which contributed to the construction of tumor-hydrogel-endothelium interfaces in a spatiotemporal on-demand manner. Utilizing the chip where intravascularly injected cisplatin diffuse across the endothelium and transport into tumor samples, chemotherapeutic responses of cisplatin-resistant or -susceptible bladder tumor cells were evaluated, showing the preservation of cellular drug resistance even within the chip. The open-top structure also enabled the direct harvest of tumor samples and post analysis in terms of secretome and gene expressions. Comparing the cisplatin efficacy of the cisplatin-resistant tumor cells in the presence or absence of endothelium, we found that the proliferation rates of tumor cells were increased in the vasculature-incorporated chip. These have suggested that our vascularized tumor chip allows the establishment of vascular-gel-tumor interfaces in spatiotemporal manners and further enables investigations of chemotherapeutic screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seunggyu Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States of America
| | - Joonha Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Nyoung Ho
- Department of Urology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13620, Republic of Korea
| | - Danhyo Kim
- Department of Urology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13620, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangchul Lee
- Department of Urology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13620, Republic of Korea
| | - Jessie S Jeon
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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Nam U, Lee S, Jeon JS. Generation of a 3D Outer Blood-Retinal Barrier with Advanced Choriocapillaris and Its Application in Diabetic Retinopathy in a Microphysiological System. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023; 9:4929-4939. [PMID: 37494673 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c00326] [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: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
The outer blood-retinal barrier (oBRB) provides an optimal environment for the function of the photoreceptor by regulating the exchange of molecules between subretinal space and the choriocapillaris, and its dysfunction could impair the photoreceptor's function and vision. The existing in vitro models have limitations in reproducing the barrier function or physiological characteristics of oBRB and choriocapillaris. Here, we engineered a microphysiological system-based oBRB-choriocapillaris model that simultaneously incorporates the desired physiological characteristics and is simple to fabricate. First, we generated microvascular networks to mimic choriocapillaris and investigated the role of fibroblasts in vasculogenesis. By adding retinal pigment epithelial cells to one side of blood vessels formed with endothelial cells and fibroblasts and optimizing their culture medium conditions, we established an oBRB-choriocapillaris model. To verify the physiological similarity of our oBRB-choriocapillaris model, we identified the polarization and expression of the tight junction of the retinal pigment epithelium, Bruch's membrane, and the fenestral diaphragm of choriocapillaris. Finally, we tried to recapitulate the diabetes mellitus environment in our model with hyperglycemia and diabetes-related cytokines. This induced a decrease in tight junction integrity, loss of barrier function, and shrinkage of blood vessels, similar to the in vivo pathological changes observed in the oBRB and choriocapillaris. The oBRB-choriocapillaris model developed using a microphysiological system is expected to offer a valuable in vitro platform for retinal and choroidal vascular diseases in preclinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ungsig Nam
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Seokhun Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jessie S Jeon
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- KAIST Institute for Health Science and Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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Huang CBX, Tu TY. Recent advances in vascularized tumor-on-a-chip. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1150332. [PMID: 37064144 PMCID: PMC10099572 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1150332] [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: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The vasculature plays a critical role in cancer progression and metastasis, representing a pivotal aspect in the creation of cancer models. In recent years, the emergence of organ-on-a-chip technology has proven to be a robust tool, capable of replicating in vivo conditions with exceptional spatiotemporal resolution, making it a significant asset in cancer research. This review delves into the latest developments in 3D microfluidic vascularized tumor models and their applications in vitro, focusing on heterotypic cellular interactions, the mechanisms of metastasis, and therapeutic screening. Additionally, the review examines the benefits and drawbacks of these models, as well as the future prospects for their advancement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ting-Yuan Tu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- International Center for Wound Repair and Regeneration, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Ting-Yuan Tu,
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Kim S, Wan Z, Jeon JS, Kamm RD. Microfluidic vascular models of tumor cell extravasation. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1052192. [PMID: 36439519 PMCID: PMC9698448 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1052192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging microfluidic disease models have amply demonstrated their value in many fields of cancer research. These in vitro technologies recapitulate key aspects of metastatic cancer, including the process of tumor cell arrest and extravasation at the site of the metastatic tumor. To date, extensive efforts have been made to capture key features of the microvasculature to reconstitute the pre-metastatic niche and investigate dynamic extravasation behaviors using microfluidic systems. In this mini-review, we highlight recent microfluidic vascular models of tumor cell extravasation and explore how this approach contributes to development of in vitro disease models to enhance understanding of metastasis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seunggyu Kim
- Mechanobiology Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Biomicrofluidics Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Zhengpeng Wan
- Mechanobiology Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Jessie S. Jeon
- Biomicrofluidics Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Roger D. Kamm
- Mechanobiology Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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Zheng W, Qian C, Tang Y, Yang C, Zhou Y, Shen P, Chen W, Yu S, Wei Z, Wang A, Lu Y, Zhao Y. Manipulation of the crosstalk between tumor angiogenesis and immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment: Insight into the combination therapy of anti-angiogenesis and immune checkpoint blockade. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1035323. [PMID: 36439137 PMCID: PMC9684196 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1035323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has been recognized as an effective and important therapeutic modality for multiple types of cancer. Nevertheless, it has been increasing recognized that clinical benefits of immunotherapy are less than expected as evidenced by the fact that only a small population of cancer patients respond favorably to immunotherapy. The structurally and functionally abnormal tumor vasculature is a hallmark of most solid tumors and contributes to an immunosuppressive microenvironment, which poses a major challenge to immunotherapy. In turn, multiple immune cell subsets have profound consequences on promoting neovascularization. Vascular normalization, a promising anti-angiogenic strategy, can enhance vascular perfusion and promote the infiltration of immune effector cells into tumors via correcting aberrant tumor blood vessels, resulting in the potentiation of immunotherapy. More interestingly, immunotherapies are prone to boost the efficacy of various anti-angiogenic therapies and/or promote the morphological and functional alterations in tumor vasculature. Therefore, immune reprograming and vascular normalization appear to be reciprocally regulated. In this review, we mainly summarize how tumor vasculature propels an immunosuppressive phenotype and how innate and adaptive immune cells modulate angiogenesis during tumor progression. We further highlight recent advances of anti-angiogenic immunotherapies in preclinical and clinical settings to solidify the concept that targeting both tumor blood vessels and immune suppressive cells provides an efficacious approach for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Zheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Cheng Qian
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yu Tang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Chunmei Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yueke Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Peiliang Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenxing Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Suyun Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhonghong Wei
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Aiyun Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yin Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
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Lee S, Kim S, Jeon JS. Microfluidic outer blood-retinal barrier model for inducing wet age-related macular degeneration by hypoxic stress. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:4359-4368. [PMID: 36254466 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00672c] [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
Wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a severe ophthalmic disease that develops in the outer blood-retinal barrier (oBRB), involving two types of cells, the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and the choriocapillaris endothelium (CCE). Unfortunately, the pathogenesis of AMD is unclear, and the risk of the only effective therapy (Anti-VEGF injection) has been consistently argued. Also, since oBRB is hard to observe in vivo, an in vitro model for the pathological study is necessary. Here, we propose an advanced oBRB model, enhanced in two major ways: fully vascularized CCE and the in vivo analogous distance between RPE and CCE. Our model consists of an RPE (ARPE-19) monolayer with adjacent CCE (HUVEC) embedded fibrin gel in the microfluidic chip and required four days to construct an oBRB. Notably, the intercellular distance was tuned to the in vivo scale (<100 μm) without any extraneous scaffold in between. Thus, the two cell layers can interact freely through the extracellular matrix (ECM) in vivo. This is significant as wet AMD is mainly developed through broken intercellular interaction. Thanks to this in vivo similarity, the model incubated under hypoxic conditions, similar to an oxygen-induced retinopathy animal model, showed upregulated vascularization comparable to the AMD condition. We envisage that our model can be used to assist the investigation of AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seokhun Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea.
| | - Seunggyu Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea.
| | - Jessie S Jeon
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea.
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10
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Park J, Kim S, Hong J, Jeon JS. Enabling perfusion through multicellular tumor spheroids promoting lumenization in a vascularized cancer model. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:4335-4348. [PMID: 36226506 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00597b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
A tumor is composed of heterogeneous cell population, which is known as tumor stroma. In particular, blood vessels have an indispensable role in the tumor microenvironment acting as a key player in anti-cancer drug delivery. Recently, efforts have been made to accurately recapitulate the microenvironment by employing distinct cell types, however, the proper formation of perfusable tumor tissue is challenging. Here, perfusable tumor tissue is engineered by implanting multicellular tumor spheroids inside the microfluidic devices. Blood perfusion, spheroid growth, and vascular dynamics were monitored according to the spheroid composition and the contribution of internal and external vascular cells to spheroid perfusion was analyzed. Most notably, the increased penetration depth of fluorescence conjugated anti-cancer drug was observed in tri-culture spheroids. The implementation of tumor microenvironment reconstruction developed in this study not only creates a perfusable tumor vascular model but can also be utilized as a novel drug screening platform with patient-derived samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joonha Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea.
| | - Seunggyu Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea.
| | - Jiman Hong
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea.
| | - Jessie S Jeon
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea.
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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: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [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.
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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.
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Wan Z, Zhong AX, Zhang S, Pavlou G, Coughlin MF, Shelton SE, Nguyen HT, Lorch JH, Barbie DA, Kamm RD. A Robust Method for Perfusable Microvascular Network Formation In Vitro. SMALL METHODS 2022; 6:e2200143. [PMID: 35373502 PMCID: PMC9844969 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202200143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Micropost-based microfluidic devices are widely used for microvascular network (MVN) formation in diverse research fields. However, consistently generating perfusable MVNs of physiological morphology and dimension has proven to be challenging. Here, how initial seeding parameters determine key characteristics of MVN formation is investigated and a robust two-step seeding strategy to generate perfusable physiological MVNs in microfluidic devices is established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengpeng Wan
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Amy X Zhong
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Shun Zhang
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Georgios Pavlou
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Mark F Coughlin
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Sarah E Shelton
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Huu Tuan Nguyen
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Jochen H Lorch
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - David A Barbie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Roger D Kamm
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
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In Vitro Human Cancer Models for Biomedical Applications. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14092284. [PMID: 35565413 PMCID: PMC9099454 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. While numerous studies have been conducted on cancer treatment, clinical treatment options for cancers are still limited. To date, animal cancer models for cancer therapeutic studies have faced multiple challenges, including inaccuracy in the representation of human cancers, high cost and ethical concerns. Therefore, lab-grown human cancer models are being developed quickly to fulfill the increasing demand for more relevant models in order to improve knowledge of human cancers and to find novel treatments. This review summarizes the development of lab-grown human cancer models for biomedical applications, including cancer therapeutic development, assessment of human tumor biology and discovery of key cancer markers. Abstract Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and its incidence is steadily increasing. Although years of research have been conducted on cancer treatment, clinical treatment options for cancers are still limited. Animal cancer models have been widely used for studies of cancer therapeutics, but these models have been associated with many concerns, including inaccuracy in the representation of human cancers, high cost and ethical issues. Therefore, in vitro human cancer models are being developed quickly to fulfill the increasing demand for more relevant models in order to get a better knowledge of human cancers and to find novel treatments. This review summarizes the development of in vitro human cancer models for biomedical applications. We first review the latest development in the field by detailing various types of in vitro human cancer models, including transwell-based models, tumor spheroids, microfluidic tumor-microvascular systems and scaffold-based models. The advantages and limitations of each model, as well as their biomedical applications, are summarized, including therapeutic development, assessment of tumor cell migration, metastasis and invasion and discovery of key cancer markers. Finally, the existing challenges and future perspectives are briefly discussed.
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Nam H, Sung HJ, Park J, Jeon JS. Manipulation of cancer cells in a sessile droplet via travelling surface acoustic waves. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 22:47-56. [PMID: 34821225 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00801c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The behaviours of microparticles inside a sessile droplet actuated by surface acoustic waves (SAWs) were investigated, where the SAWs produced an acoustic streaming flow and imparted an acoustic radiation force on the microparticles. The Rayleigh waves formed by a comb-like interdigital transducer were made to propagate along the surface of a LiNbO3 substrate in order to allow the manipulation of microparticles in a label-free and non-contact manner. Polystyrene microparticles were first employed to describe the behaviours inside a sessile droplet. The influence of the volume of the sessile droplet on the behaviours of the microparticles was examined by changing the contact angle of the droplet. Next, cancer cells were suspended in a sessile droplet, and the influence of contact angle on the behaviours of the cancer cells was investigated. A long gelation time was afforded by using a PEGylated fibrin gel. A primary tumour was mimicked by patterning the cancer cells to be concentrated in the middle of the sessile droplet. The non-contact manipulation property of acoustic waves was indicated to be biocompatible and enabled a structure-free platform configuration. Three-dimensional aggregated culture models were observed to make the cancer cells display an elevated expression of E-cadherin. The efficacy of the anticancer drug tirapazamine increased in the aggregated cancer cells, attributed to the low levels of oxygen in this formation of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeono Nam
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hyung Jin Sung
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jinsoo Park
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jessie S Jeon
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
- KAIST Institute for Health Science and Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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Lim J, Choi H, Ahn J, Jeon NL. 3D High‐Content Culturing and Drug Screening Platform to Study Vascularized Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Hypoxic Condition. ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/anbr.202100078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jungeun Lim
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Seoul National University Seoul 08826 South Korea
| | - Hyeri Choi
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering Seoul National University Seoul 08826 South Korea
| | - Jungho Ahn
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Seoul National University Seoul 08826 South Korea
| | - Noo Li Jeon
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Seoul National University Seoul 08826 South Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering Seoul National University Seoul 08826 South Korea
- Institute of Advanced Machinery and Design Seoul National University Seoul 08826 South Korea
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