Vascularized Tumor-on-a-Chip Model as a Platform for Studying Tumor-Microenvironment-Drug Interaction

Abstract

As cancer-targeting technologies advance, robust platforms for evaluating drug delivery systems (DDS) under pathomimetic conditions are critically needed. Traditional models inadequately mimic human tumor microenvironment (TME) complexity due to interspecies variance, structural simplification, and static perfusion. Vascularized tumor-on-a-chip systems address these gaps by integrating perfusable vasculature with tumor-stroma dynamics in microfluidic environments, enabling dynamic 3D evaluation of drug transport kinetics and therapeutic efficacy. These advances significantly enhance preclinical-to-clinical translatability, though challenges remain in achieving long-term vascular stability and multi-tissue integration under physiological flow conditions. Herein, we summarize recent progress in vascularized tumor-on-a-chip technologies for assessing DDS performance and TME interactions. Finally, opportunities for precision oncology and integrative organ-level modeling are highlighted, underscoring the transformative potential of these platforms in next-generation cancer research.