The integration of spheroids and organoids into organ-on-a-chip platforms for tumour research: a review

Abstract

Every year, cancer causes millions of deaths around the globe, and researchers have been engaged to provide novel therapies for this threatening disease. However, this process is commonly hampered by failures in clinical trials. For this reason, efforts have been made to develop in vitro models capable of modelling the complex and heterogeneous tumour microenvironment, giving rise to organ-on-a-chip platforms. These devices have been paramount for further advancements in cancer research by providing a physiologically relevant platform with tumour organ-specificity. Organ-on-a-chip technology combines biomaterials, tissue engineering, oncology, and pharmacology in one device, making this a promising alternative to in vivo testing. This work reviews the progress made in organ-on-a-chip and multi-organ-on-a-chip models toward cancer research and provides an overview of the cells used, the 3D culture models developed and the materials selected to fabricate the microfluidic devices