# Cancer patient on a chip

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2021 · $522,055

## Abstract

SUMMARY
The availability of predictive in vitro models of human tumors designed to accurately recapitulate key
aspects of human pathophysiology would be transformative to cancer research and pre-clinical validation of
new therapeutic modalities. We assembled an interdisciplinary team of leading experts in bioengineering,
cancer biology, systems biology, pathology and oncology to establish such model. Based on extensive
prior work, we propose to develop a state-of-the art “cancer patient on a chip” of invasive human breast
carcinoma. The tumor will be physiologically integrated with their cognate metastatic sites (lung, liver,
bone) via vascular perfusion containing circulating cells. The tumor compartment will be established directly
from surgical specimens grown in 3D, organotypic conditions while target metastatic sites and vasculature
will be established from blood-derived, patient-matched iPS cells, under an active institutional review board
protocol. The system is imaging compatible and supports long-term culture (up to 12 weeks). Biological
fidelity and heterogeneity of primary and metastatic sites, as implemented in the context of such
vascularized multi-tissue platform, will be validated by single-cell analyses vs. the corresponding native
tumor. For these studies, we will recruit a cohort of patients with metastatic tumors. Our ultimate goal is to
demonstrate utility of the platform in elucidating mechanisms of tumor progression and drug resistance, by
testing drug panels predicted by a novel RNA-seq-based, NY CLIA certified methodology (OncoTreat). Our
hypothesis is that our system will recapitulate key properties of the metastatic breast adenocarcinoma and
enable identification of target proteins that mechanistically drive tumor progression and drug
sensitivity/resistance. Three specific aims will be pursued in a highly integrated fashion: Aim 1: Bioengineer
a 3D human breast carcinoma model and metastasis host tissues; Establish a model of metastasis in an
integrated patient-on-a-chip platform; Aim 3: Elucidate master regulators and predict drug sensitivity in
metastatic cells using the “cancer patient on a chip” model. We anticipate that this platform would have
broad utility in cancer research and in patient-specific testing of new therapeutic modalities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10210239
- **Project number:** 5R01CA249799-02
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $522,055
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-07-15 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10210239

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10210239, Cancer patient on a chip (5R01CA249799-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10210239. Licensed CC0.

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