A 3D‐Printed Vascular‐Like Perfusion Tumor‐on‐a‐Chip Recapitulates High‐Grade Breast Cancer With in Vivo‐Relevant Drug Resistance

Tumor progression and drug resistance in breast cancer are fundamentally governed by a complex microenvironment, characterized by extreme cell densities and associated nutrient/oxygen gradients. Conventional in vitro models often fail to replicate these features due to mass transport limitations in non-perfused systems. Here, we present a next-generation tumor-on-a-chip platform engineered via high-resolution projection micro-stereolithography (PµSL) to sustain exceptionally high-density breast cancer tissues (up to 400 million cells/mL) under continuous perfusion. By integrating a vascular-inspired perfusion architecture with precision-engineered micropores (∼7 µm), our system enhances nutrient and drug transport compared with traditional non-perfused 3D cultures. This high-density microenvironment drives density-dependent molecular reprogramming of ERα, Ki67, and CTSL2, closely mirroring the gene expression signatures observed in high-grade patient tumors. Notably, the drug resistance to Elacestrant observed in our high-density tissues uniquely aligns with clinically reported Cmax concentrations, effectively bridging the gap between in vitro screening and in vivo outcomes. This platform provides a physiologically relevant tool for studying aggressive tumor biology and evaluating personalized therapeutic strategies with high predictive power.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Healthcare Materials
Published
2026-07-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.71457
Primary Topic
3D Printing in Biomedical Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

A 3D‐Printed Vascular‐Like Perfusion Tumor‐on‐a‐Chip Recapitulates High‐Grade Breast Cancer With in Vivo‐Relevant Drug Resistance

Nicholas X. Fang, Bingjie Sun, Chunguang Xia, Geonhui Lee
Advanced Healthcare Materials
3D Printing in Biomedical Research
article

A 3D‐Printed Vascular‐Like Perfusion Tumor‐on‐a‐Chip Recapitulates High‐Grade Breast Cancer With in Vivo‐Relevant Drug Resistance

Nicholas X. Fang, Bingjie Sun, Chunguang Xia, Geonhui Lee
article en

Abstract

Tumor progression and drug resistance in breast cancer are fundamentally governed by a complex microenvironment, characterized by extreme cell densities and associated nutrient/oxygen gradients. Conventional in vitro models often fail to replicate these features due to mass transport limitations in non-perfused systems. Here, we present a next-generation tumor-on-a-chip platform engineered via high-resolution projection micro-stereolithography (PµSL) to sustain exceptionally high-density breast cancer tissues (up to 400 million cells/mL) under continuous perfusion. By integrating a vascular-inspired perfusion architecture with precision-engineered micropores (∼7 µm), our system enhances nutrient and drug transport compared with traditional non-perfused 3D cultures. This high-density microenvironment drives density-dependent molecular reprogramming of ERα, Ki67, and CTSL2, closely mirroring the gene expression signatures observed in high-grade patient tumors. Notably, the drug resistance to Elacestrant observed in our high-density tissues uniquely aligns with clinically reported Cmax concentrations, effectively bridging the gap between in vitro screening and in vivo outcomes. This platform provides a physiologically relevant tool for studying aggressive tumor biology and evaluating personalized therapeutic strategies with high predictive power.

Advanced Healthcare Materials
Chinese University of Hong Kong (HK), Precision for Medicine (United States) (US), University of Hong Kong (HK)
Openalex Percentile: Top 16%
3D Printing in Biomedical Research
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.