00:00Scientists at Columbia Engineering have developed a new human organ on a chip
00:04designed to show how cancer spreads through the body.
00:07The technology focuses on metastasis.
00:10When cancer cells leave an original tumor and establish new tumors in distant organs,
00:15researchers built the chip using lab-grown human bone, lung, and blood vessel tissues
00:20connected by a flowing vascular channel.
00:23They then introduced breast cancer cells into the system
00:25and observed how the cells interacted with blood vessel barriers.
00:29The researchers found that different cancer cells showed different preferences for bone and lung tissue.
00:35Reflecting patterns seen in patients,
00:37the model also captured how cancer cells can prepare distant organs before they fully colonize them.
00:42That process, known as pre-metastatic niche formation,
00:46may help explain why certain organs become more vulnerable to cancer spread.
00:50Scientists say the human, potentially patient-specific platform,
00:54could help identify molecular targets and improve cancer treatment research
00:58the technology could also help bridge gaps between laboratory discoveries
01:02and treatments that ultimately reach patients.
01:05Disclosure, this video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.
