Vascularisation of tumour organoids for mechanistic and drug development

Gliomas such as are the most common form of brain tumour, a subset Glioblastoma (GBM) are devastating adult brain cancer with high rates of recurrence and treatment resistance. The development, validation and standardisation of 3D multicellular vascularised-GBM organoid model are required to provide a replacement for in vivo models. A major component to replace in vivo model is to provide vascularisation of GBM organoids and develop a method for standardisation, which can be used for high throughput assays. Banerjee group at the University of Dundee have recently established a human GBM organoid biobank. 

The objective of the project is to integrate GBM organoids into commercially available (Mimetas) organ-on-a-chip plates which are designed for high throughput imaging and plate assays. GBM organoids can be vascularised into highly reproducible “chips” to allow for functional physiological assays and screening of drug libraries.

1. Integration of human vascular (endothelial cells) with human glioblastoma organoids to create a multicellular 3D tumour-on-chip model

2. Validation of vascular-glioblastoma model in comparison to literature human and mouse models

3. Standardisation of high throughput vascularised-glioblastoma model for drug validation

The student will gain the practical and intellectual ability to develop, analyse and evaluate in vitro techniques. These skills will including cutting-edge organoid and organ-on-a-chip technology, imaging and statistical analysis, pioneering ways to challenge the current system to enable better modelling.

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