Microfluidics meets 3D cancer cell migration

Trends in cancer, vol. 8, pp. 683–697

Abstract

An early step of metastasis requires a complex and coordinated migration of invasive tumor cells into the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME), which contains extracellular matrix (ECM). It is being appreciated that 3D matrix-based microfluidic models have an advantage over conventional in vitro and animal models to study tumor progression events. Recent microfluidic models have enabled recapitulation of key mechanobiological features present within the TME to investigate collective cancer cell migration and invasion. Microfluidics also allows for functional interrogation and therapeutic manipulation of specific steps to study the dynamic aspects of tumor progression. In this review, we focus on recent developments in cancer cell migration and how microfluidic strategies have evolved to address the physiological complexities of the TME to visualize migration modes adapted by various tumor cells.

Authors 4

1. Pranav Mehta Aachen Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute

   Leiden University Medical Center · Oncode Institute · Delft University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands

   Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

   Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands

2. Zaid Rahman

   Delft University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands

3. Peter ten Dijke corresponding Aachen Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute

   Leiden University Medical Center · Oncode Institute

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: P.ten_Dijke@lumc.nl

   Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

4. Pouyan E. Boukany corresponding

   Delft University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands. Electronic address: p.e.boukany@tudelft.nl

   Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands