Replicating a colon tumour ecosystem on a chip to study the efficacy of immunotherapies

Xavier Trepat

Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona, Spain

Tumour progression is not only dependent on the genetic characteristics and biochemistry of the tumour cells themselves, as traditionally thought, but is also the result of chemical and mechanical interactions between the cancer cells and their environment, which includes other cell types and the extracellular matrix.

All these elements make up a dynamic ecosystem. Therefore, in order to study tumour behaviour and be able to test therapies to slow its progression, it is necessary to develop experimental and computational models to reproduce the tumour’s dynamic ecosystem.

This project proposes to develop a microphysiological system and its digital twin to replicate the mechanobiology of the tumour ecosystem. The team will develop a technology that reproduces the tumour ecosystem on a chip, in which up to four cell types will be combined to measure and control their interactions (mechanical and chemical). A digital twin will simulate these interactions, which will help predict outcomes. The chip will be tested by exploring immunotherapies for colorectal cancer.

• Eduard Batlle, Institute for Research in Biomedecine (IRB), Barcelona, Spain

• Marino Arroyo, International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE), Barcelona, Spain

Engineering the mechanobiology of the immunocompetent tumor ecosystem

€998,200.00