The research team has developed a prototype of three dimensional (3D) microfluidic cell arrays(microFCA) to better mimic in vivo tumor microenvironment. The co-culture of cancer cells in hydrogel and microvascular endothelial cells in simulated blood vessels has the ability to mimic the in vivo spatial relationship between microvessels and cancer cells embedded in an extra-cellular matrix. This technology, micro-tumor arrays with simulated blood vessels reconstructed in vitro in our 3D microFCA with patients' biopsy samples, can allow oncologists to test different cancer treatments at the outset and select one with the highest efficiency of targeting cancer cells with lowest toxicity to the healthy tissues. The technology will help to further knowledge of dynamic tumor responses to anti-cancer drugs systematically in cell death signaling pathways, so that the molecular mechanism(s) of action of anti-cancer drugs can be investigated in vitro across a spectrum on a high throughput platform.
Further development of this technology may lead to the ability to better personalize anti-cancer drugs including chemotherapy treatment on a patient by patent basis. The non-invasive device would be used in conjunction with biopsy samples to find the most efficient anti-cancer drug. Finding the "right" treatment in initial stages of the disease could result in more effective treatments and benefits to the larger healthcare systems as it would help to eliminate the current "trial and error" method of determining which drugs are most effective. Additionally, the technology could be scaled up and adapted to test novel therapeutic agents for the pharmaceutical industry.
As a result of our NSF I-Corps award, a Biotech startup company was formed though we also realize that the pathway to a successful business is not straight. However, with this award as a step stone, we are confident and we will keep working on it. We have been recognized in the NYC Biotech Startup circle. We have made connections with experienced business people in our specific sector through the NYC E-Lab program.After the first several months of th trial stage of our new startup, the EL is much more confident to handle tough business problems now than before when she had no business training. Together with our collaborators in Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the EL and PI are working on fund raising through the SBIR/STTR mechanism and private foundations to support further R&D and the related business development so that their scientific research results can eventually become a clinical tool to help treat cancer patients more efficiently, which will lead an increase patient survival rate. On the other hand, we are also pushing our technology to the direction of accurate high throughput compound screening with mimicked in vivo 3D microenvironmant for the pharmaceutical companies to reduce their drug development cost, which would also benefit society/patients in the end.
