Chemical Engineering Commons^™

A Multipurpose Microfluidic Device Designed To Mimic Microenvironment Gradients And Develop Targeted Cancer Therapeutics, Neil S. Forbes, Colin L. Walsh, Brett M. Babin, Rachel W. Kasinskas, Jean A. Foster, Marissa J. Mcgarry

Neil S. Forbes

The heterogeneity of cellular microenvironments in tumors severely limits the efficacy of most cancer therapies. We have designed a microfluidic device that mimics the microenvironment gradients present in tumors that will enable the development of more effective cancer therapies. Tumor cell masses were formed within micron-scale chambers exposed to medium perfusion on one side to create linear nutrient gradients. The optical accessibility of the PDMS and glass device enables quantitative transmitted and fluorescence microscopy of all regions of the cell masses. Time-lapse microscopy was used to measure the growth rate and show that the device can be used for long-term …