Abstract LB447: Drug delivery and efficacy testing using vascularized tumor-on-a-chip

Abstract The inhibition of tumor angiogenesis is considered a promising strategy to impede cancer progression, as the vasculature associated with tumors plays a crucial role in supplying blood and facilitating metastasis. Therefore, the in vitro replication of vascularized tumors is essential for comprehending cancer pathology and discerning the mechanisms governing tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, and response to pharmaceutical interventions. In this study, we fabricated vascularized tumor-on-a-chip to recapitulate the pathological features of solid tumors. We first developed hybrid spheroids consisting of tumor and endothelial cells, resulting in self-assembled intratumoral vessels. This approach enhanced the uniformity of the spheroids and peritumoral angiogenic capacity compared to spheroids composed of only cancer cells. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that the tumor-EC hybrid spheroids exhibited expression profiles associated with aggressive behaviors, such as cancer progression, invasion and metastasis. The blood vessels sprouting around the hybrid spheroids on the chip displayed the distinctive characteristics of leaky tumor vessels. We further validated the suppressive effects of axitinib on tumor growth and angiogenesis, depending on exposure dose and time. Notably, we successfully induced both lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis around the tumor hybrid spheroids by promoting interstitial flow. In summary, our findings demonstrated that vascularized tumor-on-a-chip reproduces various characteristics of vascularized tumors. Consequently, our model stands as a valuable platform for investigating interactions between within tumor microenvironments and exploring therapeutic strategies in cancer. Citation Format: Da-Hyun Kim. Drug delivery and efficacy testing using vascularized tumor-on-a-chip [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 2 (Late-Breaking, Clinical Trial, and Invited Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(7_Suppl):Abstract nr LB447.