Nikkhah Lab

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Nikkhah Lab

Disease Modeling On-a Chip and Tumor Microenvironment Models

Project Status: Active

Figure-1-Schematic

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally according to the World Health Organization. Although improved treatments and early diagnoses have reduced cancer-related mortalities, metastatic disease remains a major clinical challenge. The local tumor microenvironment plays a significant role in cancer metastasis, where tumor cells respond and adapt to a plethora of biochemical and biophysical signals from stromal cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. In our lab, we have been developing a robust in vitro three-dimensional (3D) models to study the interactions between tumor and stroma. We use two approaches by developing a high-density tumor array for high-throughput screening and a microfluidic platform for precise control of the tumor microenvironment. The high-density tumor array in our lab was used to investigate the effect of matrix stiffness on different cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, MCF10a). In addition, we incorporated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) to study their effect on breast cancer dispersion. Most importantly within this model, ECM remodeling was assessed using confocal imaging and atomic force microscopy (AFM) in the absence and presence of CAFs.

Migration of SUM-159 breast cancer cells within microfluidic model

Recent Publications

  • J. Veldhuizen, H. F. Mann, N. Karamanova, W. D. Van Horn, R. Q. Migrino, D. Brafman, M. Nikkhah*, “Modeling long QT syndrome type 2 on-a-chip via in-depth assessment of isogenic gene-edited 3D cardiac tissues.”, Science Advances, 8(50), eabq6720, (2022).
  • H.Saini, J. Veldhuizen, A. Zare, M. Alaam, C. Silva, D. Truong, G. Mouneimne, J. LaBaer, R. Ros, M. Nikkhah*, “The Role of Tumor-Stroma Interactions on Desmoplasia and Tumorigenicity within a Microengineered 3D Platform”, Biomaterials, 247, 119975, 2020.
  • D. Truong, A. Kratz, J. Park, E. S. Barrientos, H. Saini, T. Nguyen, B. A. Pockaj, G. Mouneimne, J. LaBaer, M. Nikkhah*, “Human Organotypic Microfluidic Tumor Model Permits Investigation of the Interplay Between Patient-derived Fibroblasts and Breast Cancer Cells”, Cancer Research,7(12), 3139-3151, (2019). [ASU News Coverage]
  • N. Peela#, E. Barrientos#, D. Truong, G. Mouneimne, M. Nikkhah*, “Effect of Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid (SAHA) on Breast Cancer Cells Within a Tumor-stroma Microfluidic Model”, Integrative Biology, Accepted (In press), 2017.
  • N. Peela#, D. Truong#, H. Saini#, H. Chu, S. Mashaghi, S. L. Ham, S. Singth, H. Tavana, B. Mossadegh, M. Nikkhah*, “Advanced Biomaterials and Microengineering Technologies to Recapitulate the Stepwise Process of Cancer Metastasis”, Biomaterials, 113, 176-207, 2017. 
  • D. Truong, J. Puleo, A. Llave, G. Mouneimne, R. D. Kamm, and M. Nikkhah*, “Breast Cancer Cell Invasion into a Three Dimensional Tumor-Stroma Microenvironment,” Scientific Reports, 6: 34094, 2016.
  • N. Peela#, F. S. Sam#, W. Christenson, D. Truong, A. W. Watson, G. Mouneimne, R. Ros, M. Nikkhah*, “A Three Dimensional Micropatterned Tumor Model for Breast Cancer Cell Migration Studies”, Biomaterials, 81: 72-83, 2016.. [#Equal Contribution].