2. Gastroenterology Research Center
  3. Research Projects
  4. Organ on Chip

Organ on Chip

Organ On ChipImproving cancer outcomes requires therapies that both target tumors and accurately predict patient-specific treatment responses. The tumor microenvironment (TME), comprising stromal and immune components, plays a central role in tumor progression and chemoresistance. This is especially critical in aggressive cancers such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), which continues to have a five-year survival rate below 10%.

Our Goal: Using patient-derived organoids (PDOs), we will:

  • Validate the platform by showing that it accurately reproduces the structure and function of tumors and their microenvironment using multiple biological readouts.
  • Test whether this system can be used to predict how an individual patient’s tumor responds to different treatments, including standard therapies and new drugs.
  • Develop a reliable and fast ex vivo system that can guide personalized treatment decisions.

ooc diagram

Adnan D, de Barros NR, Santovito LS, Cheng X, Lawrence KM, Barnett MK, Boetto MD, Mehta N, Singh A, Cheng L, Huang X, Bishehsari F. A Patient-Derived Organ-on-Chip Platform for Modeling the Tumor Microenvironment and Drug Responses in Pancreatic Cancer (external link). Adv Sci (Weinh). 2026 Mar;13(14):e08934. doi: 10.1002/advs.202508934. Epub 2026 Jan 29. PMID: 41610338; PMCID: PMC12970226.