Enhancing nanomedicine penetration in tumor-on-a-chip models using ultrasound-mediated microbubble activation

Here, we report on ultrasound mediated microbubble activation for efficient and deep delivery of nanomedicines in co-culture multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS), in a microfluidic chip. Specifically, a tumor-on-a-chip platform was realized by trapping multi-cellular tumor spheroids in a microfluidic chamber. Microbubbles and nanoparticles, used as models for nanomedicines, were perfused continuously, the microbubbles were activated by ultrasound and the penetration of the nanoparticles was quantified. Our experiments reveal that the nanoparticle penetration sites coincide with the initial positions of the microbubbles around the spheroids