Innovative Cancer-on-a-Chip Technology Emerging at TU Eindhoven
Eindhoven, Monday, 19 May 2025.
TU Eindhoven’s cancer-on-a-chip technology, pioneered by researcher Mohammad Jouybar, explores cancer mechanisms, potentially transforming personalized treatments and advancing Dutch health-tech.
Revolutionary Approach to Cancer Research
The Department of Biomedical Engineering at TU Eindhoven has established itself as a pioneer in groundbreaking research, particularly in biomedical imaging and modeling [1]. At the forefront of this innovation is biomedical engineer Mohammad Jouybar, whose research focuses on developing sophisticated organ-on-a-chip and cancer-on-a-chip devices that serve as alternatives to traditional animal testing models [2]. This technology, emerging over the past fifteen years, represents a more ethical and cost-effective approach to understanding disease mechanisms and testing therapeutic interventions [2].
Technical Innovation and Implementation
The cancer-on-a-chip platform developed by Jouybar incorporates multiple complex components, including breast ducts, surrounding tissue, and blood vessels [2]. The fabrication process utilizes advanced techniques such as femtosecond laser technology and 3D sugar printing to create precise circular geometries that mimic blood vessels [2]. This sophisticated approach enables researchers to study the metastatic phase of cancer, which is not a single event but rather a cascading process [2].
Implications for Personalized Medicine
The technology’s significance extends beyond basic research into the realm of personalized medicine. These microfluidic devices can simulate specific types of cancer and tissue responses, allowing for patient-specific treatment approaches [2]. The organ-on-a-chip technology represents a significant advancement in bio-MEMS (bio-microelectromechanical systems), offering a more sophisticated in vitro approximation of complex tissues than standard cell culture methods [3].
Future Prospects and Development
As part of TU Eindhoven’s broader mission to improve healthcare and society [4], this research contributes to the department’s recognized excellence in chemical biology and regenerative engineering. The technology shows particular promise in drug development and toxicity testing, potentially reducing the need for animal testing while providing more accurate human-relevant results [3]. However, researchers acknowledge that while the current models can effectively study initial steps of metastasis, there are still limitations in mimicking the entire process [2].