Development of a novel multidimensional Cancer-on-a-Chip platform
Investigator: Dr. Aldo Leal-Egaña (Senior Researcher)
Ulrich-Schalk-Straße 3
91056 Erlangen
Raum: 01.121
Telephon: +49(0)9131 85-69636
email: aldo.leal.egana@fau.de
During the last years, my scientific questions have been focused on the multidisciplinary study of cell-material interactions, and the improvement of scaffolds used in regenerative medicine, drug delivery and cancer research. Due to living systems are characterized by their highly dynamic character, my motivation in material sciences is aimed to design and perform spatio-temporally modifiable scaffolds, in order to mimic pathological, regenerative and healthy niches in vitro. This challenge has been addressed by combining a wide spectrum of theoretic and technical skills, learned during my previous training in basic and in applied sciences. My current project is dedicated to generate a Multidimensional Cancer-on-a-Chip, to study processes related to growth, intravasation and metastasis of malignant cells at single cell scale. This will be carried out by combining polymer-based tumor-like scaffolds and metastatic-like surfaces, allowing us to create a new platform for testing chemotherapeutic agents. To achieve these aims, my work is currently supported by funds obtained from the German Research Foundation (DFG), permitting me to work as an independent scientist, and to create my own research group at the Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). This research involves active collaboration with Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini (Head, Institute of Biomaterials, FAU), Prof. Ben Fabry (Biophysics Group, Center for Medical Physics and Technology, FAU) and Prof. Martial Balland (Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique & Cell Mechanics, Université Joseph Fourier, France).
Relevant publications
Leal-Egaña A., et al., (2016). Heterogeneity of single-cell mechanical responses to tumorigenic factors. (submitted).
Leal-Egaña A., Díaz-Cuenca A., Boccaccini A.R., (2013). Tuning of cell–biomaterial anchorage for tissue regeneration. Advanced Materials. 25: 4049-4057.
Leal-Egaña A., et al. (2012). Tuning liver stiffness against tumours: an in vitro study using entrapped cells in tumour-like microcapsules. Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials. 9: 113-121.
Leal-Egaña A., et al (2011). Determination of pore size distribution at the cell-hydrogel interface. Journal of Nanobiotechnology. 9:24.
