Research team led by Professor Jo Yun-kyung at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) developed a microfluidic chip called 'ODSEI chip' that analyzes the interactions between cancer cells and blood vessels in real-time on a large scale.
Cancer cells require more nutrients and oxygen than normal cells to grow rapidly. They cannot produce these resources on their own, so they stimulate surrounding blood vessel cells to draw in the necessary resources. To uncover the ever-changing mechanisms of cancer metastasis and drug resistance, it is essential to understand the interactions between cancer and blood vessels.
The ODSEI chip developed by the research team is a device that cultivates and analyzes over 1,000 tumor spheroids with blood vessel cells. It is designed with an open structure, allowing for the collection of specific spheroids at desired time points for genetic analysis. This enables tracking the process by which cancer cells interact with blood vessels and acquire resistance.
The research team studied the process of resistance to the breast cancer drug tamoxifen using this technology. Through single-cell RNA sequencing and protein analysis, they identified biomarkers, IL-8 and TIMP-1, that could enhance the efficiency of vascular drug delivery. They also elucidated how these signaling substances activate survival signals in cancer cells and suppress responses to treatments, leading to drug resistance in cancer cells.
Professor Jo Yun-kyung said, "A path has been opened to effectively study drug resistance under conditions that closely mimic the tumor microenvironment," and noted, "This technology is expected to become an important platform for developing patient-specific treatments."
References
Advanced Science(2025), DOI : https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202410659