A 3D lab tool to see how solid tumors squeeze and spread
Microfluidic platform for solid tumor mechanics and invasion
This project builds a tiny 3D device that measures how solid tumors push, deform, and let cancer cells break away, which could help people with cancers that form solid tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cornell University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ithaca, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11286769 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are developing a small microfluidic 'rheometer' that grows tumor pieces in a realistic 3D setting so they can watch how tumors generate stress and how individual cancer cells escape. The device works with live optical imaging to measure mechanics at single-cell and spheroid levels instead of averaging over whole samples. By testing different tissue-like materials and forces, the team aims to identify the physical rules linking tumor stiffness and pressure to invasion. Those laboratory findings are intended to guide future drug tests and help predict which tumors are more likely to spread.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with solid tumors (for example breast, lung, pancreatic, or other cancers that form masses) would find the results most relevant.
Not a fit: Patients with blood cancers (leukemia, lymphoma), non-solid conditions, or benign lesions that do not form invasive solid tumors are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better ways to predict which solid tumors are likely to invade and to faster lab tests of drugs that block invasion.
How similar studies have performed: Related microfluidic and atomic force techniques have given useful lab insights, but a high-throughput 3D rheometer for single cells and spheroids is relatively novel and remains experimental.
Where this research is happening
Ithaca, United States
- Cornell University — Ithaca, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wu, Mingming — Cornell University
- Study coordinator: Wu, Mingming
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.