A bi-functional pH-responsive chip with a soft hydrogel-supported 3D-like renal tumor model for sustained drug delivery

assays on A498 RCC cells confirmed the biocompatibility of the blank hydrogel and the potent, sustained cytotoxicity of the drug-loaded construct across 2D, soft hydrogel-supported 3D-like, and on-chip models. Mechanistic analyses linked diffusion-convection kinetics to the regulation of apoptosis, demonstrating spatially confined and physiologically relevant chemotherapeutic effects. This CPA hydrogel-on-chip system thus offers a promising biomimetic platform for localized cancer therapy and mechanistic drug screening.