Recent advances in cancer-on-a-chip tissue models to dissect the tumour microenvironment

Abstract Three-dimensional cancer-on-a-chip tissue models aim to replicate the key hallmarks of the tumour microenvironment and allow for the study of dynamic interactions that occur during tumour progression. Recently, complex cancer-on-a-chip models incorporating multiple cell types and biomimetic extracellular matrices have been developed. These models have generated new research directions in engineering and medicine by allowing for the real-time observation of cancer-host cell interactions in a physiologically relevant microenvironment. However, these cancer-on-a-chip models have yet to overcome limitations including the complexity of device manufacturing, the selection of optimal materials for preclinical drug screening studies, long-term microfluidic cell culture as well as associated challenges, and the technical robustness or difficulty in the use of these microfluidic platforms. In this review, an overview of the tumour microenvironment, its unique characteristics, and the recent advances of cancer-on-a-chip models that recapitulate native features of the tumour microenvironment are presented. The current challenges that cancer-on-a-chip models face and the future directions of research that are expected to be seen are also discussed. Graphical Abstract