This technology is patient-specific engineered model of bone marrow for diagnostics and research of cancer progression using a sample of patient’s serum.
Current methods to evaluate human cancer progression and metastasis involve cell culture or mouse models and lack capability to recapitulate the occurrence and progression of metastasis and its effects on the human immune system. Also, characterization of patient-specific responses to cancer therapeutic options remains a challenge. As a result, there is a significant unmet need for an off-the-shelf, practical, and non-invasive assay to evaluate metastatic potential for a given patient and to predict cancer progression, potential for relapse, and response to therapeutics.
This diagnostic tool is a tissue engineered bone marrow platform that enables evaluation of the patient tumor and its metastasis progression. The engineered bone marrow recapitulates the human immune stem cell niche, which drives peripheral blood and immune cell phenotypes. Evaluation of changes in the engineered bone marrow upon introduction of a small sample of patient serum provides valuable insights into the cancer stage, metastatic potential, and response to therapeutics.
Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, Ph.D.
Patent Pending
IR CU23273
Licensing Contact: Beth Kauderer