A team of researchers from the Politecnico di Milano and the European Institute of Oncology has developed a miniaturized model of the human intestine capable of reproducing the main characteristics of intestinal inflammation and predicting melanoma patients’ response to immunotherapy. The study, coordinated by Prof. Marco Rasponi from the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering – Politecnico di Milano and Prof. Luigi Nezi from the Department of Experimental Oncology – European Institute of Oncology, has been published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

It has long been known that the interaction between gut microbiota and immunotherapy influences patient response. However, studying these processes in detail is challenging: so far, research has mainly relied on animal models, which come with inevitable limitations. Moreover, performing invasive procedures such as colonoscopy or colon biopsy on melanoma patients is not justified, despite intestinal inflammation being one of the most significant side effects of immunotherapy, often leading to treatment discontinuation.

To overcome these limitations, researchers applied the innovative "organs-on-chip" technology to the colon, creating an advanced model that simulates the intestinal environment in the laboratory. The core of this innovation is the patented uBeat technology, developed by Politecnico di Milano. Originally designed to replicate heart muscle contractions and later adapted to knee joint biomechanics, uBeat has now been used to simulate the peristaltic movement of the intestine.

Thanks to the continuous movements generated by the device, the model enables the differentiation of key intestinal cell populations from human organoids, creating a highly realistic on-chip environment. This approach opens new perspectives in biomedical research, allowing for the gradual replacement of animal models with humanized in vitro systems, with potential applications in various fields of personalized medicine.

This innovative tool represents a significant step forward in understanding the dynamics between gut microbiota and immunotherapy, aiming to optimize melanoma treatments and reduce side effects, ultimately improving patients’ quality of life.