Perfused Tumor-Tissue Model for ​In Vitro ​Invasion Analysis

Ferguson, Carlisle A.; Callahan, Elizabeth Eileen; Steigerwald, Leah D.; Waskowicz, Caleigh Marie

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Perfused Tumor-Tissue Model for In Vitro Invasion Analysis Public

Cancer is the 9th leading cause of death globally. Cancer is challenging to treat due to metastasis, which starts as tumor cell invasion from the primary tumor into the surrounding tissue. There is an increased need for physiologically relevant models of tumor cell invasion to improve understanding of cancer progression. This project constructed a perfusion bioreactor that supported an in vitro model of cell invasion that can be imaged and evaluated using light microscopy. This design incorporated a syringe pump connected to three individual well units that could be perfused simultaneously. The bioreactor was tested for proof of concept using materials and flow rates representative of the tumor microenvironment, and a MATLAB® program was developed to analyze cell images.

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