Microfluidic system for evaluation of chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic drugs

A method of evaluating the efficacy of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) on tumor samples, comprising:

• providing a microfluidic assay chip and a suspension maintaining pump, and a plurality of fluid reservoirs, wherein the fluid reservoirs are configured to hold a volume of fluid and TILs suspended within the fluid and are fluidically coupled to the microfluidic assay chip by tubing, the microfluidic assay chip including:
• a plurality of parallel assay channels, each parallel assay channel including:
• a first inlet at a proximal end of the assay channel for introduction of a tumor sample into the microfluidic assay chip;
• a second inlet at the proximal end of the assay channel coupling a fluid reservoir to the assay channel, wherein the coupling comprises a connection via a portion of the tubing, wherein the second inlet has a smaller diameter than the first inlet;
• a retention barrier located within the assay channel and configured to trap a tumor sample such that the fluid and TILs perfuse through the tumor sample;
• and
• an outlet at a distal end of the assay channel configured to allow fluid and TILs to flow out of the microfluidic assay chip, wherein,
• introducing tumor samples to the array of parallel assay channels via the first inlets of the respective assay channels;
• retaining the tumor samples in the respective assay channels via respective retention barriers;
• flowing fluid and TILs suspended within the fluid from the fluid reservoirs located in the suspension maintaining pump into the proximal ends of the respective assay channels via the respective second inlets such that the fluid and TILs flow through the respective channels, thereby inducing interstitial flow of the fluid and TILs through the tumor samples such that the fluid and TILs perfuse through the tumor samples;
• collecting the fluid and TILs at the outlets at the distal ends of the assay channels;
• and
• monitoring the condition of the tumor samples over time during the flowing of the fluid and TILs.