Angiogenesis is the development of new blood vessels from the existing vasculature. Its malfunction leads to the development of cancers and cardiovascular diseases qualified by the WHO as a leading cause of death worldwide. A better understanding of mechanisms regulating physiological and pathological angiogenesis will potentially contribute to developing more effective treatments for those urgent issues. Therefore, the main goal of the following study was to design and manufacture an angiogenesis-on-a-chip microplatform, including cylindrical microvessels created by Viscous Finger Patterning (VFP) technique and seeded with HUVECs. While optimizing the VFP procedure, we have observed that lumen’s diameter decreases with a diminution of the droplet’s volume. The influence of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) with a concentration of 5, 25, 50, and 100 ng/mL on the migration of HUVECs was assessed. VEGF’s solution with concentrations varying from 5 to 50 ng/mL reveals high angiogenic potential. The spatial arrangement of cells and their morphology were visualized by fluorescence and confocal microscopy. Migration of HUVECs toward loaded angiogenic stimuli has been initiated after overnight incubation. This research is the basis for developing more complex vascularized multi-organ-on-a-chip microsystems that could potentially be used for drug screening.

Angiogenesis is the development of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature. Multiple factors control its course. Disorders of the distribution of angiogenic agents are responsible for development of solid tumors and its metastases. Understanding of the molecular interactions regulating pathological angiogenesis will allow for development of more effective, even personalized treatment. A simulation of angiogenesis under microflow conditions is a promising alternative to previous studies conducted on animals and on 2D cell cultures. In this review, we summarize what has been discovered so far in the field of vascularized tumor-on-a-chip platforms. For this purpose, we describe different vascularization techniques used in microfluidics, present various attempts to induce angiogenesis-on-a-chip and report some approaches to recapitulate vascularized tumor microenvironment under microflow conditions.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a highly lethal malignancy characterized by significant heterogeneity and poor prognosis due to late-stage diagnosis and chemotherapy resistance. Traditional two-dimensional (2D) models fail to replicate the complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME), necessitating the development of advanced in vitro systems. Here, we present a novel microfluidic tumor-on-a-chip (ToC) system that accurately models key features of EOC, including heterogeneity and vascularization. The developed cellular model was evaluated for functionality. It was demonstrated that endothelial cells of blood vessels within a collagen matrix successfully migrated toward the cancerous tissue, while the multicellular and multilayered tumor construct secreted pro-angiogenic factors. Additionally, long-term culture conditions induced inflammatory responses, mimicking in vivo tumor progression. This innovative platform enables precise investigations into EOC biology, angiogenesis, and TME interactions. Furthermore, it holds significant potential for drug screening, assessing therapeutic efficacy, and advancing personalized oncology approaches.

Angiogenesis is the development of new blood vessels from the already existing vasculature