Research Project
10382952
PROJECT SUMMARY Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent and aggressive primary malignant brain tumor. The patient median survival is only fifteen months, due to its chemotactic invasion into adjacent brain tissues through the 3D-confined interstitial space. The underlying mechanism is still poorly understood, and effective therapies are still lacking. This is due to the lack of adequate research platforms. There is currently no representation of this disease in the Microphysiology System Database. Through an active NIH grant study, we recently developed a microfluidic device to study GBM invasion. This device recapitulates the native environment for individual cancer cell migration through interstitial space. We further integrated the chemical perfusion system that can manipulate the chemotactic environment (e.g., chemical composition, absolute concentration, concentration gradient) in real-time. So far, we have collected a significant amount of cell images and migration data, in various chemotactic conditions. We also collected the pharmacokinetic data for a potential inhibitory drug. To render the data to the general public, we propose to re-format and deposit them in the Microphysiology System Database. We will also expand the dataset by collecting the pharmacokinetic data from additional patient-derived cell lines. This study's outcome will significantly enhance our understanding of the GBM invasion and promote the discovery of more effective therapy.
