Abstract 2497: A human pcVMT platform for personalizing chemotherapy route and regimen selection in peritoneal carcinomatosis

Abstract Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is a clinically aggressive metastatic disease state marked by diffuse peritoneal involvement and limited responsiveness to systemic chemotherapy due to poor penetration across the mesothelial barrier. Although intraperitoneal (IP) therapy offers a mechanistically rational alternative, clinicians currently lack human-relevant platforms to determine which patients will benefit most from systemic therapy, IP therapy, or a combination of both.To address this unmet need, we developed a dual-chamber peritoneal carcinomatosis vascularized micro-tumor (pcVMT) platform that recreates a human mesothelial-lined peritoneal cavity adjacent to a perfused vascular network, enabling patient-specific, route-specific chemotherapy testing. The pcVMT supports stable vascular perfusion, intact mesothelial barrier function, and tumor adhesion and invasion using both PC cell lines and patient-derived peritoneal metastases. High-resolution confocal imaging confirms robust tumor-stromal-vascular organization across multiple clinical samples.The platform facilitates testing of clinically relevant regimens, including vascular FOLFOX, IP paclitaxel, and bidirectional systemic+IP delivery, and permits real-time visualization of route-dependent tumor responses within each patient’s microenvironment. Early patient-derived experiments demonstrate feasibility of individualized assessment, including successful IP paclitaxel administration with observable changes in tumor architecture.By enabling controlled comparison of systemic, IP, and combined delivery strategies within a physiologic human peritoneal model, the pcVMT provides a precision-oncology tool designed to identify the most effective therapy and delivery route for each patient. Ongoing studies will expand patient-derived testing and explore correlations with clinical decision-making to guide personalized treatment selection and future systemic-IP combination strategies in PC. Citation Format: Aaqil M. Khan, Stephanie J. Hachey, Vinodh Kumar Radhakrishnan, Fatemeh Tajik, Melanie Roman, Christopher C. Hughes, Maheswari Senthil. A human pcVMT platform for personalizing chemotherapy route and regimen selection in peritoneal carcinomatosis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 2497.

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Publication Details

Journal
Cancer Research
Published
2026-04-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am2026-2497
Primary Topic
Intraperitoneal and Appendiceal Malignancies
Type
article
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article

Abstract 2497: A human pcVMT platform for personalizing chemotherapy route and regimen selection in peritoneal carcinomatosis

Fatemeh Tajik, Aaqil Khan, Stephanie J. Hachey, Maheswari Senthil et al.
Cancer Research
Intraperitoneal and Appendiceal Malignancies
article

Abstract 2497: A human pcVMT platform for personalizing chemotherapy route and regimen selection in peritoneal carcinomatosis

Fatemeh Tajik, Aaqil Khan, Stephanie J. Hachey, Maheswari Senthil, Vinodh Kumar Radhakrishnan, Melanie Roman, Christopher C. Hughes
article en

Abstract

Abstract Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is a clinically aggressive metastatic disease state marked by diffuse peritoneal involvement and limited responsiveness to systemic chemotherapy due to poor penetration across the mesothelial barrier. Although intraperitoneal (IP) therapy offers a mechanistically rational alternative, clinicians currently lack human-relevant platforms to determine which patients will benefit most from systemic therapy, IP therapy, or a combination of both.To address this unmet need, we developed a dual-chamber peritoneal carcinomatosis vascularized micro-tumor (pcVMT) platform that recreates a human mesothelial-lined peritoneal cavity adjacent to a perfused vascular network, enabling patient-specific, route-specific chemotherapy testing. The pcVMT supports stable vascular perfusion, intact mesothelial barrier function, and tumor adhesion and invasion using both PC cell lines and patient-derived peritoneal metastases. High-resolution confocal imaging confirms robust tumor-stromal-vascular organization across multiple clinical samples.The platform facilitates testing of clinically relevant regimens, including vascular FOLFOX, IP paclitaxel, and bidirectional systemic+IP delivery, and permits real-time visualization of route-dependent tumor responses within each patient’s microenvironment. Early patient-derived experiments demonstrate feasibility of individualized assessment, including successful IP paclitaxel administration with observable changes in tumor architecture.By enabling controlled comparison of systemic, IP, and combined delivery strategies within a physiologic human peritoneal model, the pcVMT provides a precision-oncology tool designed to identify the most effective therapy and delivery route for each patient. Ongoing studies will expand patient-derived testing and explore correlations with clinical decision-making to guide personalized treatment selection and future systemic-IP combination strategies in PC. Citation Format: Aaqil M. Khan, Stephanie J. Hachey, Vinodh Kumar Radhakrishnan, Fatemeh Tajik, Melanie Roman, Christopher C. Hughes, Maheswari Senthil. A human pcVMT platform for personalizing chemotherapy route and regimen selection in peritoneal carcinomatosis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 2497.

Cancer ResearchVol. 86(7_Supplement)
University of California, Irvine (US)
Peace, Justice and strong institutions
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Intraperitoneal and Appendiceal Malignancies
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