Thesis title: Development of organ-on-chip system to study the interactions between immune cells and tumor cells in response to drug treatments
The initiation of an effective anti-cancer immune response critically depends on the dynamic interactions between cancer cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and T lymphocytes. These interactions represent a pivotal step in tumor immune surveillance and remain essential even in the context of therapeutic interventions. Microfluidic-based platforms, such as immune system–cancer-on-a-chip models, have emerged as powerful tools to investigate these processes, as they can faithfully recapitulate key structural and functional features of the tumor microenvironment (TME) [1] [2]. In this context, we have developed a 3D device comprising two tumor chambers connected to a central immune chamber through a series of short, narrow capillary-like migration channels. Tumor chambers are flanked by parallel perfusion channels designed to supply complete culture medium. This architecture enables controlled immune cell trafficking and intercompartmental communication. The immune system–cancer-on-a-chip allows real-time monitoring of dendritic cell migration and peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBLs) recruitment toward cancer cells, as well as the characterization of their mutual interactions, both under basal conditions and in response to pharmacological treatments.
Overall, this microfluidic platform enables the investigation of i) immune cell recruitment and interaction with cancer cells within three-dimensional tumor-like environment, ii) evaluation of anticancer treatment efficacy, iii) assessment of cancer cell invasiveness, representing a versatile and robust system for performing functional assays within a single, integrated microfluidic device.
References
[1] S. Parlato et al. Lab Chip 21:234-253 (2020)
[2] S. Parlato et al. Scient Rep 7:1093 (2017)