Open-Top Vascularized Tumor Microdevice

An open-top microfluidic chip enables transplantation of human solid tumor explants into vascularized 3D tissue for controlled CAR-T perfusion, imaging, and analysis.
Tech Title: Technology:
Technology: The invention includes an open-top microfluidic chip with a primary channel and adjacent side channel(s) separated by a barrier, plus apertures providing direct access from above. A removable insert with projections can block the apertures during setup, enabling sequential formation of engineered 3D tissue and later transplantation of tumor material into defined wells. A vascular bed can place channels in fluid communication, enabling perfusion of cells or agents through the vascular network to the tumor construct. The system supports real-time imaging and compartment-specific retrieval for analyses such as flow cytometry and single-cell profiling.
Problem Title: Problem:
Problem: CAR-T cell therapy has had limited success in solid tumors, partly due to complex cancer–immune interactions in the tumor microenvironment. Preclinical work is constrained by models that do not reproduce key steps of CAR-T targeting in solid tumors. It is hard to control and observe immune trafficking, infiltration, persistence, and function in human tumor tissue. These gaps slow mechanistic studies and preclinical screening of adoptive cell therapies.
Solution Title: Solution:
Solution: This technology provides a microengineered in vitro platform to reproduce, image, and analyze human solid tumors during CAR-T exposure. The compartmentalized, open-top interface supports vascularized 3D constructs and on-demand transplantation of tumor explants. Immune cells can be perfused in a controlled manner to study recruitment, infiltration, and effector behavior in the construct. The platform supports phenotyping and molecular analyses to probe mechanisms and identify model-associated signals.
Advantages Title: Advantages:
Advantages:

Open-top access enables on-demand transplantation of tumor explants into pre-formed vascularized 3D constructs
Controlled perfusion through an engineered vascular bed supports reproducible delivery of immune cells and agents to tumor tissue
Compartmentalized design enables imaging plus separate collection of tumor and stroma for deeper phenotyping and molecular analysis

App Title: Applications:

CAR T mechanistic studies: Model CAR-T recognition, infiltration, persistence, and effector function within vascularized tumor explants under controlled perfusion.
Adoptive cell therapy screening: Compare immune-cell variants or dosing conditions by perfusing candidate cells into vascularized tumor constructs and tracking tumor–immune interactions.
Biomarker discovery workflows: Retrieve compartment-specific cells for flow cytometry and single-cell profiling to identify phenotypes and signals associated with trafficking and activity in the model.
Tumor microenvironment interrogation: Evaluate how vascularized stromal constructs influence immune recruitment and function after transplanting tumors with different compositions or sources.

Intellectual Property: