The organ-on-chip system, developed in Lee’s lab, simulates the tumor microenvironment and is superior to animal models for studying different stages of the cancer. Using it, the researchers studied whether ALK7 drives the initial invasion of blood vessels or the later stage, when circulating tumor cells exit the bloodstream to form new tumors in organs such as the lungs or liver.

The study also highlights the potential to apply organ-on-chip platforms to study other types of cancers, or how immune cells infiltrate and exit vessels.