Utilising tissue-on-a-chip technology as an ex vivo model of breast cancer metastatic colonisation

Why did we fund this project?

This award aims to replace mice in breast cancer metastasis studies by adapting a tissue-on-a-chip device to model cancer colonisation in murine liver tissue.

The spread of cancer cells by metastasis causes the majority of breast cancer deaths in the UK. Metastasis research typically uses longitudinal studies in mice using either implanted cancerous patient tissue or genetically engineered models. These studies require large groups of mice as animals must be culled at specific time points to assess the extent of cancer cell colonisation. Current in vitro models do not accurately replicate the complexity of the tumour microenvironment, either because they lack multiple cell types, or require cancer cells to be seeded directly on top of the tissue, which is not representative of metastasis in vivo. Professor John Greenman and Dr Victoria Green (Co-Investigator) have previously developed a tissue-on-a-chip model, with NC3Rs funding, where tumour biopsy tissue is cultured in a microfluidic device. The tissue encompasses the complexity of the tumour microenvironment and the inclusion of microfluidics replicates blood flow.

In collaboration with Dr Rachel Eyre, John and Victoria will adapt the tissue-on-a-chip device for liver metastasis studies of breast cancer. The technology will be transferred to Rachel’s laboratory at the University of Manchester where she will perfuse a human breast cancer cell line into the chip to colonise murine liver tissue.

This award was made in collaboration with Cancer Research UK.