Microfluidic culture models of tumor angiogenesis.

Blood vessels control all stages of tumor development and therapy by defining the physicochemical and cellular state of the tumor microenvironment. However, no pathologically relevant culture systems currently exist that recapitulate the associated cellular and convective mass transfer processes that are implicated in tumor angiogenesis. By integrating tissue engineering and microfluidic technologies, it will be possible to develop tumor-mimetic culture environments with embedded microvascular structures. Utilization of these microfluidic tumor models will help reveal the importance of the transport of chemical and cellular factors in tumor angiogenesis, and provide a test bed that may ultimately improve current strategies to antiangiogenic therapy.