A novel breast cancer model of early stage invasion: using microfluidic methods to mimic a heterogeneous physical tumor microenvironment

The majority of breast cancer deaths are not caused by the primary tumor, but by metastasis to other organs. In this work, we propose a novel in vitro breast cancer model that focuses on dissecting the influence of the biophysical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) on the onset of cancer invasion. Based on microfluidic technology, it will provide us with the necessary tools to independently vary different material and cell properties, while it provides the cells with a physiologically relevant environment.