Project type: Research projects to stimulate young independent teams
Project code: PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2021-0624
Project type: Research projects to stimulate young independent teams
Project code: PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2021-0624
Project type: Research projects to stimulate young independent team
Title: Microfluidic approaches to reconstruct Breast Cancer Metastatic Niche Interactions
Romanian: Abordari microfluidice pentru reconstructia nisei metastatice in cancerul de san
Project code: PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2021-0624
Granted by: UEFISCDI -Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding in Romania
Contract no: TE52/2022
Total funding: 450.000 RON (~ 90.000 Euro)
Period: May 2022- May 2024 (24 months)
Host Institution: Institute of Oncology “Prof.Dr. Ion Chiricuta” , 34-36 Republicii, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, website: www.iocn.ro
Project director: Oana Mihaela Tudoran, Ph.D., Senior Researcher II
Brainmap: U-1700-036Q-8844; ORCID: 0000-0001-5082-9341
Despite early detection through mammography and improved treatments has increased the survival of breast cancer patients in
westernized countries, around 30% of these patients fail to respond to conventional treatments, leading to tumor recurrence and metastasis.
Current anti-cancer therapies target either the proliferation of tumor cells or immune response against tumors but none specifically target tumor
motility. While significant progress has been made in characterizing the molecular basis of tumor migration, most studies report cell motility in
2D systems.
These systems are limited in reconstructing the complex architecture of tumor microenvironment that tumor cells navigate during the metastatic process.
Recent advancements in microfluidic technologies have overcome the limitations of classical in vitro and in vivo models with the fabrication of
micro- channels and chambers that can precisely control the spatial and temporal interactions between cells and microenvironment. As a general
objective, this project proposes to model the complex cancer cell -microenvironmental interactions by using diverse microfluidic systems to reconstruct
the metastatic niche architecture.
Project director:
Oana Tudoran, PhD
Postdoctoral researcher:
Valentina Pileczki, PhD
Simona Visan, PhD
Doctoral condidate:
Oana Baldasici
As a general objective, this project proposes to model the complex cancer cell -microenvironmental interactions by using diverse microfluidic systems to reconstruct the metastatic niche architecture.
Objective 1. Developing a microfluidic platform for in vitro modeling of tumor niche interactions.
Objective 2. Resolving the breast cancer niche interactions at individual cell populations.
Objective 3. Dissecting the mechanisms of breast cancer niche interactions.
In this project, we developed special devices that allowed us to study how tumor cells interact with other cell types in their microenvironment. We created two distinct tumor models to better understand how cancer cells migrate and what factors influence this process.
These models were used to investigate the optimal ratio between different cell types (tumor, immune, stromal) to understand tumor behavior.
We discovered ratios similar to those observed in breast tumors from patients.
Why does this matter? Our findings can contribute to the development of new, personalized treatment methods for each patient.
We identified key genes that may influence therapy response and could become targets for new drugs.
The Impact of Our Research: The metastatic process, which leads to the formation of secondary tumors, is currently difficult to predict.
Our discoveries pave the way for a better understanding of this process and offer new perspectives for precision oncology.
Project Achievements:
• Participation in 3 international conferences,
o 10th Edition of World Congress on Breast Cancer” la San Diego,
o „2023 AACR-KCA Joint Conference on Precision Medicine in Cancer”, Seoul, Korea de Sud
o MicroTAS 2024, Montreal Canada.
• Preparation of a scientific article based on these findings.
Genetics, Genomics and Experimental Pathology
Institutute of Oncology “Prof.Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34-36 Republicii, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, România
Tel: +40-264-590 638
Fax: +40-264-439260
E-mail: oana.tudoran@iocn.ro