Ovarian cancer is a highly lethal malignancy, characterised by late-stage diagnosis, marked inter- and intra-tumoural heterogeneity, and frequent development of chemoresistance. Existing preclinical models, including conventional two-dimensional cultures, three-dimensional spheroids, and organoids, only partially recapitulate the structural and functional complexity of the ovarian tumour microenvironment (TME). Tumour-on-chip (CoC) technology has emerged as a promising alternative, enabling the co-culture of tumour and stromal cells within a microengineered platform that incorporates relevant extracellular matrix components, biochemical gradients, and biomechanical cues under precisely controlled microfluidic conditions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of CoC technology relevant to ovarian cancer research, outlining fabrication strategies, device architectures, and TME-integration approaches. We systematically analyse published ovarian cancer-specific CoC models, revealing a surprisingly limited number of studies and a lack of standardisation across design parameters, materials, and outcome measures. Based on these findings, we identify critical technical and biological considerations to inform the rational design of next-generation CoC platforms, with the aim of improving their reproducibility, translational value, and potential for personalised medicine applications.
卵巢癌是一种高度致命的恶性肿瘤，其特点包括诊断时多为晚期、显著的肿瘤间及肿瘤内异质性以及频繁发生的化疗耐药性。现有的临床前模型，包括传统的二维培养、三维球体及类器官，仅能部分复现卵巢肿瘤微环境（TME）的结构与功能复杂性。芯片肿瘤（CoC）技术作为一种新兴的替代方案展现出巨大潜力，该技术能够在微工程平台上实现肿瘤细胞与基质细胞的共培养，并在精确控制的微流控条件下整合相关细胞外基质成分、生化梯度及生物力学信号。本综述系统阐述了与卵巢癌研究相关的CoC技术，详细介绍了其构建策略、设备架构及肿瘤微环境整合方法。通过对已发表的卵巢癌特异性CoC模型进行系统性分析，我们发现相关研究数量显著不足，且在设计参数、材料选择及结果评估方面缺乏标准化规范。基于这些发现，我们提出了关键的技术与生物学考量因素，以指导新一代CoC平台的合理设计，从而提升其可重复性、转化价值及在个体化医疗应用中的潜力。
Tumour-on-Chip Models for the Study of Ovarian Cancer: Current Challenges and Future Prospects
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家