Human multi-organ chip tracks breast cancer spread to bone and lung
Cancer spreading beyond the primary tumor—a process known as metastasis—is responsible for at least two-thirds of cancer deaths. Drugs targeting metastatic progression have largely failed, in part because of the lack of predictive models that would help identify the underlying mechanisms of metastasis.
Human multi-organ chip designed to track breast cancer spread to bone and lung successfully demonstrates metastasis process. Metastasis, the spread of cancer beyond the primary tumor, accounts for at least two-thirds of cancer deaths, making the development of predictive models for metastatic progression crucial. Columbia Engineering professor Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic and her team have created the first such model, publishing their findings in Science Translational Medicine.
The multi-organ chip features engineered human bone and lung tissues, along with vascular flow containing circulating breast cancer cells, allowing dynamic crosstalk among the tissues being colonized. This model enables researchers to investigate metastatic progression in detail using patient-specific cells and tissues, rather than relying on animal models that may not accurately reflect human biology.
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