FURI | Spring 2018

Elucidation of Stromal Fibroblast and Antifibrotic Drug on Chemo Resistance Within a 3D Model

The project objective was to study the effects of antifibrotic drugs on extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness modulation and the related efficacy of various chemotherapy drugs. This was tested using a novel high-density tumor microarray model containing tumor cells and fibroblast cells in coculture. The necessary micro engineered devices for this project have been manufactured, and drastic changes in both ECM stiffness and drug efficacy have been observed as a result of this joint treatment. In the future, more in depth mechanistic studies should be conducted to better understand the drugs that have been utilized for this study.