MicroScale system integrating Patient-specific cancer Organoids in a 3D Tumor microenvironment for Therapy rEsponse preDiction

Introduction

Cancer remains a leading global cause of death, with incidence projected to increase significantly by 2050. Despite advances in detection and treatment, there is an urgent need for more effective and personalized therapies.

Personalized Medicine

Personalized medicine (PM) is emerging as the future of cancer care, using 3D patient-specific models to replicate the tumor's complexity. Current in vitro models struggle to accurately mimic the tumor microenvironment (TME), including the extracellular matrix (ECM) and stromal interactions, which are critical to tumor progression and therapy response.

Project Overview

SPOTTED aims to address these limitations by developing patient-derived (PD) in vitro models integrated into a microfluidic device. This is achieved by exploiting patient-derived organoids (PDOs) from bioptic tissues from the Biobanca di Ricerca of the University Hospital of Padua.

Case Study

The first vertical case study is on pancreatic cancer (PC), projected to become the second deadliest type of solid tumor by 2040. Our SPOTTED platform will use PDOs and PD-ECM hydrogels to reconstruct a realistic 3D model of PC, incorporating stromal and immune cells.

Methodology

By replicating the TME, SPOTTED enables precise drug screening and therapeutic testing in a highly controlled and automated environment. Its design allows for:

• Real-time monitoring and analysis
• Scalable, reproducible experiments tailored to individual patients

Conclusion

SPOTTED, with its customizable, patient-specific approach, aims to bridge the gap between laboratory research and clinical application. This paves the way for more effective, tailored therapies for PC and other solid tumors, with the potential to revolutionize personalized cancer treatment.