Tumor-on-chip as a personalized platform for rapid drug testing in breast cancer

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Authors: Clara Helal, Léa Pinon, Juliette Jin, Niccolo Schintu, Ana Vazquez, Léna Domalain, Martin Nurmik, Gianni Antonelli, Ségolène Ladaigue, Maxime Simon, Élodie Montaudon, Laura Sourd
+10 more Héloïse Derrien, Gérard Zalcman, Angela Bellini, Andreia Goncalves, Anne Vincent-Salomon, Toulsie Ramtohul, Elisabetta Marangoni, Maria Carla Parrini, Luc Cabel, Stéphanie Descroix
Cited by: 1
References: 61

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) continues to pose major therapeutic challenges, emphasizing the need for functional models that can rapidly inform treatment selection. Patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) and organoids (PDOs) are valuable tools for precision oncology, but their clinical utility is limited by inconsistent success rates and lengthy timelines. Here, we develop a tumor-on-chip (ToC) platform enabling functional drug sensitivity profiling within 4 days. ToC models show high reproducibility and a strong concordance with in vivo PDX responses. Drug sensitivity is correctly identified in 88% of PDX-responsive cases, while resistance was detected in 91%, with no false positives at clinically relevant concentrations. We design a chip compatible with minimal BC biopsy material. Proof-of-concept studies on patient samples show that the platform can distinguish sensitive and resistant profiles. These findings support the translational potential of ToC models for rapid personalized drug profiling in BC, laying the ground for their integration into clinical decision-making workflows.

Fields of Study & Subjects

3D Printing in Biomedical Research Cancer Cells and Metastasis Microfluidic and Bio-sensing Technologies

Publication details

Journal / source
Cell Reports Medicine
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
7
Issue
9
Pages
103011–103011
Publication date
28 August 2026
Language
EN