Tumor Microenvironment Biochip for Cell Therapy Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current biochips lack application in cell therapy for cancer treatment, and traditional cell culture and animal experiments are inaccurate and face ethical bans, necessitating a more precise and humane testing method.
Innovation Solution
A biochip for cell therapy is developed, featuring a carrier with a first and second cell or tissue culture area, where endothelial cells act as intermediary cells between cancer cells and autoimmune cells like T cells, allowing for in vitro simulation of human tissue interactions and drug screening, produced through 3D printing, reversal molding, or injection molding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional cell culture methods are used, then simplicity and ease of operation are maintained, but measurement precision and reliability of results deteriorate due to oversimplification that cannot reflect complex tissue functions
Solution Approach 1:
The biochip is divided into multiple independent culture chambers (first culture chamber for cancer cells, second culture chamber for immune cells, third culture chamber for endothelial cells) that can be separately cultured and then interconnected. This segmentation allows each cell type to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested chamber structure where the first, second, and third culture chambers are vertically stacked with the second chamber positioned between the first and third chambers. The chambers are connected through communication channels, creating a nested three-dimensional configuration that simulates in vivo tissue architecture while maintaining a compact footprint.
2Reliability
If animal experiments are used, then comprehensive study of cells and tissues is improved, but ethical issues and species differences cause reliability deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The biochip creates a simplified copy of human tissue architecture using human-derived cells cultured in controlled chambers. The three-chamber system replicates the spatial organization of tumor tissue, blood vessels, and immune cells, providing human-relevant data without using animal subjects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of biological model from animal-based to human cell-based culture. By using human cancer cells, human endothelial cells, and human immune cells in a controlled in vitro system, the reliability of human-relevant results is improved while eliminating species differences and ethical concerns.
3Adaptability or versatility
If simple transitional cell culture is used, then ease of manufacture and operation are maintained, but the ability to simulate real tissue connections and responses deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional two-dimensional planar culture to a three-dimensional nested chamber structure. The vertical stacking of culture chambers with interconnecting channels creates a three-dimensional architecture that better simulates tissue organization and cell-cell interactions while maintaining manufacturability through standard microfabrication techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The endothelial cells cultured in the third chamber serve as an intermediary layer that mediates interactions between cancer cells in the first chamber and immune cells in the second chamber. The communication channels allow controlled exchange of molecules and cells through this intermediary endothelial layer, simulating blood vessel barriers and enabling study of metastasis and immune response.
Data Source
AI summary
Present invention is related to a tumor microenvironment on chip or a biochip for cell therapy having a carrier, a first cell or tissue culture area and a second cell or tissue area imbedded within the carrier. The present invention provides a biochip successfully cooperating micro fluidic technology and cell culture achieving the goal for detecting or testing the function of cell therapy for cancer or tumor.