Seminar: Can engineered micro scale organotypic models predict patient-specific responses?

Abstract

Cell-based assays for the prediction of patient-specific cancer response have not been widely adopted. However it is timely to reevaluate their use, as numerous innovations, including micro-scale organ-on-a-chip models, may improve their predictive power and utility. This seminar demonstrates how different levels of organotypic complexity may be necessary to recapitulate patient response: 1) co-culture of multiple myeloma cells and stroma from a patient accurately predicts drug chemosensitivity; 2) invasion of prostate cancer cells into model error correction models allows stratification of patients independent of other biomarkers; 3) organotypic vessels from patient endothelial cells differentially respond to anti-angiogenic therapy in renal cell carcinoma. In addition, the presentation will include recent explorations into “open microfluidics” and its potential to advance the practical application of microfluidics. 

About the speaker

David J. Beebe is the Claude Bernard Professor of Biomedical Engineering, co-leader of the Tumor Microenvironment Program in the UW Carbone Cancer Center and a John D. MacArthur Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the recipient of the IEEE EMBS Early Career Achievement Award, as well as numerous awards, including Lab on a Chip, Royal Society of Chemistry/Corning, Pioneers of Miniaturization Prize, Romnes Award and Byron Bird Award for Excellence in a Research Publication at UW-Madison. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. In addition, Beebe was a founding scientific editor of Integrative Biology. His current research interests center on the understanding and application of micro scale physical phenomena to understand cancer biology (e.g. stromal-epithelial and cell-matrix interactions), improvement of cancer diagnosis and monitoring and advance global disease diagnostics. His migration to more biological focused research was facilitated by a five year National Institute of Health “retraining” award in cancer biology. He has published more than 225 archived journal articles with more than 25,000 citations (h-index of 72).  Additionally Beebe has also co-founded several biotechnology companies. He has received over $30 million in funding (as a principal investigator) for his research from NIH, NSF, USDA, DARPA, DOD, DHS, ONR, Coulter Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Whitaker Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, EPA, WARF and University of Wisconsin.

Hosted by Professor Shaurya Prakash.