Bioengineers have developed a novel system inspired by the lotus leaf to study cancer cell clusters and offer new insights into tumor behavior. The system, developed by researchers at Rice University, uses a zinc oxide-based surface that mimics the water-repellent and self-cleaning properties of a lotus leaf, creating a platform for high-throughput generation of 3D tumor models.
“Studying metastasis – the leading cause of death in cancer – is particularly challenging, in part because of the difficulty of developing accurate, high-performance models,” said William Grover, associate professor of bioengineering at UC Riverside. “We hope this tool will unlock new knowledge about this problematic stage of the disease and help us find ways to intervene and stop or prevent metastasis.”
The superhydrophobic array device (SHArD) developed by the team provides a customizable, physiologically relevant model for studying cancer development, including metastasis, the critical stage at which cancer cells spread through the bloodstream.
This cutting-edge technology could transform cancer research and enable scientists to better understand and combat the spread of cancer cells.
4o
