Bioreactor for In Vitro Evaluation of Tumor Cell Invasion Potential

Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide, in cancer, the body’s cells divide rapidly and proliferate to form malignant tumors. Tumor cells can also invade healthy tissue away from the primary tumor in a process known as metastasis. It is estimated that metastasis is the primary cause of 90% of all cancer-related deaths. Metastasis makes cancer difficult to treat, and there is an emerging need for physiologically relevant models of invasion to help study cancer progression. In vitro models of the tumor microenvironment are a key component of understanding cancer metastasis, the primary cause of most cancer deaths. Current models of cancer cell invasion, which precedes metastasis, lack interstitial fluid flow. The goal of this project was to design a device integrating interstitial fluid flow that could perfuse cancer cell lines through a biocompatible scaffold. Invasion could then be detected through imaging. A device was designed to hold a scaffold for cell invasion, support fluid flow through the scaffold, and be easily assembled. The device also includes a cell loading inlet with an in-line membrane to filter cell aggregates. Tests were performed to ensure that the device did not leak, and the scaffold was characterized using rheology and diffusion experiments