Personalized cancer-on-a-chip that models breast cancer spread to bone and lung
Cancer Patient on a Chip
The team is building a personalized lab model using patient tumor and immune cells to mimic how HR+/HER2- breast cancer spreads to bone and lung to help people with metastatic breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11297944 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will grow tumor organoids from patients and make matching bone and lung tissues from stem cells, then add patient-derived immune cells and blood-like circulation to link the tissues. The linked platform will model key steps of metastasis—tumor cells entering blood vessels, surviving circulation, leaving vessels, and settling in target organs—over periods up to 12 weeks. The project plans to use samples from up to 60 people with metastatic HR+/HER2- breast cancer so the system reflects real patient biology. The goal is to watch dynamic interactions between cancer, immune cells, and tissues to better understand and test new therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with metastatic HR+/HER2- breast cancer who can provide tumor tissue or blood samples and are willing to work with Columbia University researchers would be the ideal participants.
Not a fit: People without metastatic breast cancer, those with other breast cancer subtypes (for example HER2+ or triple-negative), or patients unable to provide required samples or travel to the study site are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help scientists test treatments and predict how individual patients' tumors may spread, speeding development of better therapies for metastatic breast cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Organoid and organ-on-chip approaches have shown promise in lab studies, but combining patient immune cells with linked multi-organ chips to model metastasis is relatively new and remains experimental.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vunjak-Novakovic, Gordana — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Vunjak-Novakovic, Gordana
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.