الوصف: |
Cancer kills millions of individuals every year all over the world (Global Cancer Observatory). The physiological and biomechanical processes underlying the tumor are still poorly understood, hindering researchers from creating new, effective therapies. Inconsistent results of preclinical research, in vivo testing, and clinical trials decrease drug approval rates. Three-dimensional tumor-on-chip models integrate biomaterials, tissue engineering, fabrication of microarchitectures, and sensory and actuation systems in a single device, enabling reliable studies in fundamental oncology and pharmacology. This review includes a critical discussion about their ability to reproduce the tumor microenvironment, the advantages and drawbacks of existing tumor models and architectures, and major components and fabrication techniques. The focus is on current materials and micro/nanofabrication techniques used to manufacture reliable and reproducible microfluidic tumor-on-chip models for large-scale trial applications. |