Developing Bioengineered Human Models of Leukaemia for Improved Drug Development
Leukaemia originates in the bone marrow (BM), a highly specialised microenvironment, or “niche”, that regulates haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), balancing their self-renewal and differentiation. Once removed from this niche, HSCs rapidly lose their function, making them difficult to study and limiting our understanding of both normal blood formation and the development of blood cancers.
Currently, animal models dominate leukaemia research, but they often fail to accurately replicate human blood biology and cancer progression. As a result, many potential therapies stall before reaching patients. To overcome these limitations, Celia is using advanced bioengineering to build a fully human-specific, animal-free model of leukaemia initiation and spread.
Modelling Leukaemia Metastasis with Organ-on-Chip
Celia is developing an on-chip system that mimics both the bone marrow and a secondary lymphoid organ, such as a lymph node (LN), to model how leukaemia progresses and metastasises. Using human stromal and stem cells, leukaemia cell lines, and hybrid biological–synthetic hydrogels engineered to mimic the BM and LN environments, she is aiming to recreate the structural and mechanical properties of these tissues. These engineered 3D niches will be incorporated into a microfluidic chip, allowing real-time observation of cancer cell behaviour, including niche remodelling and metastatic migration.
By comparing “healthy” and “leukaemic” conditions, Celia is investigating changes in stromal cell behaviour, extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, and tumour-promoting markers. Fluorescent tracking and drug testing within this system will help identify new therapeutic targets to block cancer cell spread.
This innovative, human-specific model offers a powerful platform for drug screening and mechanistic studies in blood cancer research. By eliminating the need for animal-derived components, it supports the development of more predictive, ethical, and human-specific biomedical research.