Rice University Bioengineers Launch ATLAS Platform to Model Cancer Metastasis and Target Support Cell Survival Mechanisms

Rice University's new ATLAS platform reveals that cancer-associated fibroblasts protect tumor clusters in the bloodstream, offering a new target for drug therapy.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 27, 2026, 7:49 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Rice University

Engineering a Scalable Solution for Metastatic Research

A team of bioengineers at Rice University has introduced a high-throughput platform designed to overcome the long-standing difficulties of studying cancer metastasis in a laboratory setting. Known as the Advanced Tumor Landscape Analysis System (ATLAS), this technology allows researchers to generate large quantities of three-dimensional cancer cell clusters that mimic the behavior of tumors spreading through the human body. According to Michael King, the E.D. Butcher Professor of Bioengineering, metastasis remains poorly understood primarily because traditional techniques fail to replicate the complex physical stresses of the circulatory system. ATLAS provides a standardized, cost-effective method for producing these models, enabling more rigorous testing of how cancer survives its journey from a primary tumor to distant organs.

Biomimicry and the Application of Superhydrophobic Materials

The technical foundation of the ATLAS platform relies on superhydrophobic surfaces, which are materials engineered to repel water with extreme efficiency. Inspired by the natural water-shedding properties of the lotus leaf, the Rice team utilized 3D-printing to create microwell arrays with nanoscale roughness. When droplets containing cells are placed on these surfaces, they form beads rather than spreading out, a physical reaction that forces the cells to adhere to one another into 3D clusters. Lead author Alexandria Carter noted that by coating 3D-printed structures with nonwetting substances like wax or Teflon, the lab has created a scalable system that other research facilities can easily adopt for their own specialized oncology studies.

The Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts as Protective Escorts

Beyond the engineering of the platform itself, the study has provided fresh biological insights into the survival of prostate cancer. By creating mixed clusters that include both malignant cells and noncancerous stromal cells known as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the researchers observed a marked increase in the survival rate of the clusters. These "escort" cells appear to shield the cancer from the mechanical stresses and fluid shear forces encountered in the bloodstream. Testing suggests that cancer cells are significantly more resilient when traveling in these heterogeneous groups, indicating that the...