Cancer precision medicine requires personalized drug selection, but traditional methods are limited by low tumor cell availability. A digital microfluidic (DMF) system was developed for high-throughput, on-site drug screening using a 4 × 4 cm² chip. This system was validated in breast cancer xenograft mice and liver cancer patients, proving its potential for real-time, personalized treatment.
Key Findings
- Single Drug Screening: Tested cisplatin, Wzb117, epirubicin on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer xenograft model. Effective drugs identified on-chip reduced tumor growth, validated by genetic sequencing.
- Combinatorial Screening: Doxorubicin (Dox) + Curcumol (Cur) was more effective than single drugs, proving optimized drug combinations can be identified.
- Clinical Liver Cancer Test: Screened Lenvatinib, Regorafenib, Apatinib, Sorafenib on HCC patient biopsies. Results matched whole-exome sequencing, and a patient treated with the screened drug had no recurrence in 6 months.
Advantages
- Low cell requirement (~100 cells/drug), ideal for early-stage cancer.
- Portable & user-friendly, enabling hospital-based screening.
- Significant drug savings (3000× less than traditional methods).
- Fast results (within 36 hours), accelerating treatment decisions.
Future Prospects
The DMF platform offers a low-cost, rapid, and clinically viable approach to cancer precision medicine. Expanding studies across more cancer types will further validate its potential.
Reference : https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48616-3