Metastasis in context: modeling the tumor microenvironment with cancer-on-a-chip approaches.

ABSTRACT: Most cancer deaths are not caused by the primary tumor, but by secondary tumors formed through metastasis, a complex and poorly understood process. Cues from the tumor microenvironment, such as the biochemical composition, cellular population, extracellular matrix, and tissue (fluid) mechanics, have been indicated to play a pivotal role in the onset of metastasis. Dissecting the role of these cues from the tumor microenvironment in a controlled manner is challenging, but essential to understanding metastasis. Recently, cancer-on-a-chip models have emerged as a tool to study the tumor microenvironment and its role in metastasis. These models are based on microfluidic chips and contain small chambers for cell culture, enabling control over local gradients, fluid flow, tissue mechanics, and c

SUBMITTER: Sleeboom JJF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5897732 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature