A multilayered blood vessel/tumor tissue chip to investigate T cell infiltration into solid tumor tissues. Issue 11 (29th April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Jaehyun; Kim, Seong-Eun; Moon, Dowon; Doh, Junsang
• Is Part Of: Lab on a chip. Volume 21:Issue 11(2021)
• Page Start: 2142
• Page End: 2152
• Publication Date: 2021-04-29
• Subjects: Miniature electronic equipment -- Periodicals; Combinatorial chemistry -- Periodicals; Biotechnology -- Periodicals; 543.0813
• DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00182e
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1473-0197

Abstract

Abstract : We developed a multilayered blood vessel/tumor tissue chip (MBTC) that allows systematic investigation on T cell tumor infiltration. Key characteristics of T cell dynamics in tumor microenvironments are recapitulated in the MBTCs. Abstract : Cancer immunotherapies based on the ability of T cells to recognize and kill tumor cells (TCs), including immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, have been greatly successful recently, but they are applicable for only a fraction of patients. One of the main challenges in cancer immunotherapy is the improvement of T cell infiltration into solid tumor tissues, as T cells can exert cytotoxicity against TCs only when they are in contact with TCs. T cells in the bloodstream infiltrate into solid tumor tissues by following two steps known as extravasation and interstitial migration. Herein, we developed a multilayered blood vessel/tumor tissue chip (MBTC) that allows systematic investigation on T cell tumor infiltration. The MBTC is composed of a top fluidic chamber, a porous membrane covered with an endothelial cell (EC) monolayer, and a collagen gel block encapsulating TCs. The full sequence of T cell tumor infiltration, including extravasation and interstitial migration, required for TC killing is demonstrated in the MBTCs: T cells applied through the top fluidic chamber of the MBTCs exhibited dynamic interactions with ECs for extravasation, including intraluminal crawling and transendothelial migration (TEM). After extravasation, T cells migrate toward TCs located at the bottom of a collagen block to kill them. Key characteristics of T cell dynamics in tumor microenvironments are recapitulated in the MBTCs: the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) produced by TCs suppressed EC activation by inflammatory cytokines, or induced EC anergy, thereby significantly reducing T cell extravasation, whereas chemokines produced by TCs triggered T cell chemotaxis toward TCs. Anti-VEGF treatment in the MBTCs reverts EC anergy and promotes T cell infiltration, similar to the clinical effects of anti-VEGF. The MBTC is a useful model for pre-clinical evaluation of immunotherapeutics and the fundamental study of tumor immunology.