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Bai H, Ingber DE. What Can an Organ-on-a-Chip Teach Us About Human Lung Pathophysiology? Physiology (Bethesda) 2022; 37:0. [PMID: 35658627 PMCID: PMC9394778 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00012.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The intertwined relationship between structure and function has been key to understanding human organ physiology and disease pathogenesis. An organ-on-a-chip (organ chip) is a bioengineered microfluidic cell culture device lined by living cells and tissues that recapitulates organ-level functions in vitro. This is accomplished by recreating organ-specific tissue-tissue interfaces and microenvironmental biochemical and mechanical cues while providing dynamic perfusion through endothelium-lined vascular channels. In this review, we discuss how this emerging technology has contributed to the understanding of human lung structure-function relationships at the cell, tissue, and organ levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqing Bai
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Donald E Ingber
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
- Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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52
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Bossink EGBM, Vollertsen AR, Loessberg-Zahl JT, van der Meer AD, Segerink LI, Odijk M. Systematic characterization of cleanroom-free fabricated macrovalves, demonstrating pumps and mixers for automated fluid handling tuned for organ-on-chip applications. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2022; 8:54. [PMID: 35615464 PMCID: PMC9124669 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-022-00378-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Integrated valves enable automated control in microfluidic systems, as they can be applied for mixing, pumping and compartmentalization purposes. Such automation would be highly valuable for applications in organ-on-chip (OoC) systems. However, OoC systems typically have channel dimensions in the range of hundreds of micrometers, which is an order of magnitude larger than those of typical microfluidic valves. The most-used fabrication process for integrated, normally open polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) valves requires a reflow photoresist that limits the achievable channel height. In addition, the low stroke volumes of these valves make it challenging to achieve flow rates of microliters per minute, which are typically required in OoC systems. Herein, we present a mechanical 'macrovalve' fabricated by multilayer soft lithography using micromilled direct molds. We demonstrate that these valves can close off rounded channels of up to 700 µm high and 1000 µm wide. Furthermore, we used these macrovalves to create a peristaltic pump with a pumping rate of up to 48 µL/min and a mixing and metering device that can achieve the complete mixing of a volume of 6.4 µL within only 17 s. An initial cell culture experiment demonstrated that a device with integrated macrovalves is biocompatible and allows the cell culture of endothelial cells over multiple days under continuous perfusion and automated medium refreshment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsbeth G. B. M. Bossink
- BIOS Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+Institute, Technical Medical Center, Max Planck Institute for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Anke R. Vollertsen
- BIOS Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+Institute, Technical Medical Center, Max Planck Institute for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
- Applied Stem Cell Technologies Group, Technical Medical Center, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Joshua T. Loessberg-Zahl
- BIOS Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+Institute, Technical Medical Center, Max Planck Institute for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Andries D. van der Meer
- Applied Stem Cell Technologies Group, Technical Medical Center, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Loes I. Segerink
- BIOS Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+Institute, Technical Medical Center, Max Planck Institute for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Mathieu Odijk
- BIOS Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+Institute, Technical Medical Center, Max Planck Institute for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
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53
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Khalid MAU, Kim KH, Chethikkattuveli Salih AR, Hyun K, Park SH, Kang B, Soomro AM, Ali M, Jun Y, Huh D, Cho H, Choi KH. High performance inkjet printed embedded electrochemical sensors for monitoring hypoxia in a gut bilayer microfluidic chip. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:1764-1778. [PMID: 35244110 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc01079d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Sensing devices have shown tremendous potential for monitoring state-of-the-art organ chip devices. However, challenges like miniaturization while maintaining higher performance, longer operating times for continuous monitoring, and fabrication complexities limit their use. Herein simple, low-cost, and solution-processible inkjet dispenser printing of embedded electrochemical sensors for dissolved oxygen (DO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) is proposed for monitoring developmental (initially normoxia) and induced hypoxia in a custom-developed gut bilayer microfluidic chip platform for 6 days. The DO sensors showed a high sensitivity of 31.1 nA L mg-1 with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.67 mg L-1 within the 0-9 mg L-1 range, whereas the ROS sensor had a higher sensitivity of 1.44 nA μm-1 with a limit of detection of 1.7 μm within the 0-300 μm range. The dynamics of the barrier tight junctions are quantified with the help of an in-house developed trans-epithelial-endothelial electrical impedance (TEEI) sensor. Immunofluorescence staining was used to evaluate the expressions of HIF-1α and tight junction protein (TJP) ZO-1. This platform can also be used to enhance bioavailability assays, drug transport studies under an oxygen-controlled environment, and even other barrier organ models, as well as for various applications like toxicity testing, disease modeling and drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Asad Ullah Khalid
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, Republic of Korea.
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Chung-Ang University, 221, Heukseok-Dong, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Hwan Kim
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, Republic of Korea.
| | | | - Kinam Hyun
- BioSpero, Inc., Jeju-do, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Bohye Kang
- BioSpero, Inc., Jeju-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Afaque Manzoor Soomro
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - Muhsin Ali
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yesl Jun
- Center for Bio Platform Technology, Bio & Drug Discovery Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Republic of Korea.
| | - Dongeun Huh
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Heeyeong Cho
- Center for Bio Platform Technology, Bio & Drug Discovery Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Republic of Korea.
| | - Kyung Hyun Choi
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, Republic of Korea.
- BioSpero, Inc., Jeju-do, Republic of Korea
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54
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Schneider O, Moruzzi A, Fuchs S, Grobel A, Schulze HS, Mayr T, Loskill P. Fusing spheroids to aligned μ-tissues in a heart-on-chip featuring oxygen sensing and electrical pacing capabilities. Mater Today Bio 2022; 15:100280. [PMID: 35601892 PMCID: PMC9120495 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2022.100280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, Organ-on-Chip (OoC) emerged as a promising technology for advanced in vitro models, recapitulating key physiological cues. OoC approaches tailored for cardiac tissue engineering resulted in a variety of platforms, some of which integrate stimulation or probing capabilities. Due to manual handling processes, however, a large-scale standardized and robust tissue generation, applicable in an industrial setting, is still out of reach. Here, we present a novel cell injection and tissue generation concept relying on spheroids, which can be produced in large quantities and uniform size from induced pluripotent stem cell-derived human cardiomyocytes. Hydrostatic flow transports and accumulates spheroids in dogbone-shaped tissue chambers, which subsequently fuse and form aligned, contracting cardiac muscle fibers. Furthermore, we demonstrate electrical stimulation capabilities by utilizing fluidic media connectors as electrodes and provide the blueprint of a low-cost, open-source, scriptable pulse generator. We report on a novel integration strategy of optical O2 sensor spots into resin-based microfluidic systems, enabling in situ determination of O2 partial pressures. Finally, a proof-of-concept demonstrating electrical stimulation combined with in situ monitoring of metabolic activity in cardiac tissues is provided. The developed system thus opens the door for advanced OoCs integrating biophysical stimulation as well as probing capabilities and serves as a blueprint for the facile and robust generation of high density microtissues in microfluidic modules amenable to scaling-up and automation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Schneider
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Alessia Moruzzi
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
- Department for Microphysiological Systems, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefanie Fuchs
- Institute for Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
| | - Alina Grobel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Henrike S. Schulze
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Torsten Mayr
- Institute for Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
| | - Peter Loskill
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
- Department for Microphysiological Systems, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- 3R-Center for In vitro Models and Alternatives to Animal Testing, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Corresponding author. Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany.
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Gholizadeh H, Cheng S, Kourmatzis A, Xing H, Traini D, Young PM, Ong HX. Application of Micro-Engineered Kidney, Liver, and Respiratory System Models to Accelerate Preclinical Drug Testing and Development. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:150. [PMID: 35447710 PMCID: PMC9025644 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9040150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Developing novel drug formulations and progressing them to the clinical environment relies on preclinical in vitro studies and animal tests to evaluate efficacy and toxicity. However, these current techniques have failed to accurately predict the clinical success of new therapies with a high degree of certainty. The main reason for this failure is that conventional in vitro tissue models lack numerous physiological characteristics of human organs, such as biomechanical forces and biofluid flow. Moreover, animal models often fail to recapitulate the physiology, anatomy, and mechanisms of disease development in human. These shortfalls often lead to failure in drug development, with substantial time and money spent. To tackle this issue, organ-on-chip technology offers realistic in vitro human organ models that mimic the physiology of tissues, including biomechanical forces, stress, strain, cellular heterogeneity, and the interaction between multiple tissues and their simultaneous responses to a therapy. For the latter, complex networks of multiple-organ models are constructed together, known as multiple-organs-on-chip. Numerous studies have demonstrated successful application of organ-on-chips for drug testing, with results comparable to clinical outcomes. This review will summarize and critically evaluate these studies, with a focus on kidney, liver, and respiratory system-on-chip models, and will discuss their progress in their application as a preclinical drug-testing platform to determine in vitro drug toxicology, metabolism, and transport. Further, the advances in the design of these models for improving preclinical drug testing as well as the opportunities for future work will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanieh Gholizadeh
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia; hanieh.mohammad-gholizadeh-@hdr.mq.edu.au (H.G.); (D.T.)
- Respiratory Technology, The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2037, Australia;
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Ryde, NSW 2113, Australia;
| | - Shaokoon Cheng
- School of Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Ryde, NSW 2113, Australia;
| | - Agisilaos Kourmatzis
- School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;
| | - Hanwen Xing
- Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia;
| | - Daniela Traini
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia; hanieh.mohammad-gholizadeh-@hdr.mq.edu.au (H.G.); (D.T.)
- Respiratory Technology, The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2037, Australia;
| | - Paul M. Young
- Respiratory Technology, The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2037, Australia;
- Department of Marketing, Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University, Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Hui Xin Ong
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia; hanieh.mohammad-gholizadeh-@hdr.mq.edu.au (H.G.); (D.T.)
- Respiratory Technology, The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2037, Australia;
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56
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Kavand H, Nasiri R, Herland A. Advanced Materials and Sensors for Microphysiological Systems: Focus on Electronic and Electrooptical Interfaces. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2107876. [PMID: 34913206 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202107876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Advanced in vitro cell culture systems or microphysiological systems (MPSs), including microfluidic organ-on-a-chip (OoC), are breakthrough technologies in biomedicine. These systems recapitulate features of human tissues outside of the body. They are increasingly being used to study the functionality of different organs for applications such as drug evolutions, disease modeling, and precision medicine. Currently, developers and endpoint users of these in vitro models promote how they can replace animal models or even be a better ethically neutral and humanized alternative to study pathology, physiology, and pharmacology. Although reported models show a remarkable physiological structure and function compared to the conventional 2D cell culture, they are almost exclusively based on standard passive polymers or glass with none or minimal real-time stimuli and readout capacity. The next technology leap in reproducing in vivo-like functionality and real-time monitoring of tissue function could be realized with advanced functional materials and devices. This review describes the currently reported electronic and optical advanced materials for sensing and stimulation of MPS models. In addition, an overview of multi-sensing for Body-on-Chip platforms is given. Finally, one gives the perspective on how advanced functional materials could be integrated into in vitro systems to precisely mimic human physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanie Kavand
- Division of Micro- and Nanosystems, Department of Intelligent Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Malvinas Väg 10 pl 5, Stockholm, 100 44, Sweden
| | - Rohollah Nasiri
- AIMES, Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Solnavägen 9/B8, Solna, 171 65, Sweden
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Tomtebodavägen 23a, Solna, 171 65, Sweden
| | - Anna Herland
- Division of Micro- and Nanosystems, Department of Intelligent Systems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Malvinas Väg 10 pl 5, Stockholm, 100 44, Sweden
- AIMES, Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Solnavägen 9/B8, Solna, 171 65, Sweden
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Tomtebodavägen 23a, Solna, 171 65, Sweden
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57
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Arslan U, Moruzzi A, Nowacka J, Mummery CL, Eckardt D, Loskill P, Orlova VV. Microphysiological stem cell models of the human heart. Mater Today Bio 2022; 14:100259. [PMID: 35514437 PMCID: PMC9062349 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2022.100259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Models of heart disease and drug responses are increasingly based on human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) since their ability to capture human heart (dys-)function is often better than animal models. Simple monolayer cultures of hPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, however, have shortcomings. Some of these can be overcome using more complex, multi cell-type models in 3D. Here we review modalities that address this, describe efforts to tailor readouts and sensors for monitoring tissue- and cell physiology (exogenously and in situ) and discuss perspectives for implementation in industry and academia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulgu Arslan
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Alessia Moruzzi
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Joanna Nowacka
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Christine L. Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Peter Loskill
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- 3R-Center for in Vitro Models and Alternatives to Animal Testing, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Valeria V. Orlova
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
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58
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Mainardi A, Cambria E, Occhetta P, Martin I, Barbero A, Schären S, Mehrkens A, Krupkova O. Intervertebral Disc-on-a-Chip as Advanced In Vitro Model for Mechanobiology Research and Drug Testing: A Review and Perspective. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 9:826867. [PMID: 35155416 PMCID: PMC8832503 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.826867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Discogenic back pain is one of the most diffused musculoskeletal pathologies and a hurdle to a good quality of life for millions of people. Existing therapeutic options are exclusively directed at reducing symptoms, not at targeting the underlying, still poorly understood, degenerative processes. Common intervertebral disc (IVD) disease models still do not fully replicate the course of degenerative IVD disease. Advanced disease models that incorporate mechanical loading are needed to investigate pathological causes and processes, as well as to identify therapeutic targets. Organs-on-chip (OoC) are microfluidic-based devices that aim at recapitulating tissue functions in vitro by introducing key features of the tissue microenvironment (e.g., 3D architecture, soluble signals and mechanical conditioning). In this review we analyze and depict existing OoC platforms used to investigate pathological alterations of IVD cells/tissues and discuss their benefits and limitations. Starting from the consideration that mechanobiology plays a pivotal role in both IVD homeostasis and degeneration, we then focus on OoC settings enabling to recapitulate physiological or aberrant mechanical loading, in conjunction with other relevant features (such as inflammation). Finally, we propose our view on design criteria for IVD-on-a-chip systems, offering a future perspective to model IVD mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Mainardi
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Elena Cambria
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Paola Occhetta
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Ivan Martin
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Barbero
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Schären
- Spine Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Arne Mehrkens
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Spine Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Olga Krupkova
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Spine Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Lepage Research Institute, University of Prešov, Prešov, Slovakia
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59
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Dornhof J, Kieninger J, Muralidharan H, Maurer J, Urban GA, Weltin A. Microfluidic organ-on-chip system for multi-analyte monitoring of metabolites in 3D cell cultures. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:225-239. [PMID: 34851349 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00689d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional cell cultures using patient-derived stem cells are essential in vitro models for a more efficient and individualized cancer therapy. Currently, culture conditions and metabolite concentrations, especially hypoxia, are often not accessible continuously and in situ within microphysiological systems. However, understanding and standardizing the cellular microenvironment are the key to successful in vitro models. We developed a microfluidic organ-on-chip platform for matrix-based, heterogeneous 3D cultures with fully integrated electrochemical chemo- and biosensor arrays for the energy metabolites oxygen, lactate, and glucose. Advanced microstructures allow straightforward cell matrix integration with standard laboratory equipment, compartmentalization, and microfluidic access. Single, patient-derived, triple-negative breast cancer stem cells develop into tumour organoids in a heterogeneous spheroid culture on-chip. Our system allows unprecedented control of culture conditions, including hypoxia, and simultaneous verification by integrated sensors. Beyond previous works, our results demonstrate precise and reproducible on-chip multi-analyte metabolite monitoring under dynamic conditions from a matrix-based culture over more than one week. Responses to alterations in culture conditions and cancer drug exposure, such as metabolite consumption and production rates, could be accessed quantitatively and in real-time, in contrast to endpoint analyses. Our approach highlights the importance of continuous, in situ metabolite monitoring in 3D cell cultures regarding the standardization and control of culture conditions, and drug screening in cancer research. Overall, the results underline the potential of microsensors in organ-on-chip systems for successful application, e.g. in personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Dornhof
- Laboratory for Sensors, IMTEK - Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 103, 79110 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Jochen Kieninger
- Laboratory for Sensors, IMTEK - Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 103, 79110 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Harshini Muralidharan
- Molecular Gynecology, Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Jochen Maurer
- Molecular Gynecology, Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Gerald A Urban
- Laboratory for Sensors, IMTEK - Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 103, 79110 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Andreas Weltin
- Laboratory for Sensors, IMTEK - Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 103, 79110 Freiburg, Germany.
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60
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Holloway PM. Novel, Emerging Chip Models of the Blood-Brain Barrier and Future Directions. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2492:193-224. [PMID: 35733046 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2289-6_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The use of microfluidic chips is now allowing for more advanced modelling of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vitro, recapitulating heterotypic interactions, 3D architecture, and physiological flow. This chapter will give an introduction to these new technologies and how they are being applied to model the BBB and neurovascular unit (NVU). A foundational understanding of the fluid dynamics germane to the effective use of these chips will be set and an overview of how physical phenomena at the microscale can be exploited to enable new possibilities to control the cell culture environment. The four main approaches to construct microfluidic blood vessel mimetics will be discussed with examples of how these techniques are being applied to model the BBB and more recently to study specific neurovascular disease processes. Finally, practical guidance will be given for researchers wishing to adopt these new techniques along with a summary of the challenges, limitations faced, and new opportunities opened up by these advanced cell culture systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Holloway
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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61
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Fanizza F, Campanile M, Forloni G, Giordano C, Albani D. Induced pluripotent stem cell-based organ-on-a-chip as personalized drug screening tools: A focus on neurodegenerative disorders. J Tissue Eng 2022; 13:20417314221095339. [PMID: 35570845 PMCID: PMC9092580 DOI: 10.1177/20417314221095339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The Organ-on-a-Chip (OoC) technology shows great potential to revolutionize the drugs development pipeline by mimicking the physiological environment and functions of human organs. The translational value of OoC is further enhanced when combined with patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to develop more realistic disease models, paving the way for the development of a new generation of patient-on-a-chip devices. iPSCs differentiation capacity leads to invaluable improvements in personalized medicine. Moreover, the connection of single-OoC into multi-OoC or body-on-a-chip allows to investigate drug pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetics through the study of multi-organs cross-talks. The need of a breakthrough thanks to this technology is particularly relevant within the field of neurodegenerative diseases, where the number of patients is increasing and the successful rate in drug discovery is worryingly low. In this review we discuss current iPSC-based OoC as drug screening models and their implication in development of new therapies for neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Fanizza
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and
Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta,” Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marzia Campanile
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and
Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta,” Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Forloni
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di
Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Carmen Giordano
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and
Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta,” Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Albani
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di
Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
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Advancing Tumor Microenvironment Research by Combining Organs-on-Chips and Biosensors. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1379:171-203. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-04039-9_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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63
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Ino K, Pai HJ, Hiramoto K, Utagawa Y, Nashimoto Y, Shiku H. Electrochemical Imaging of Endothelial Permeability Using a Large-Scale Integration-Based Device. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:35476-35483. [PMID: 34984279 PMCID: PMC8717544 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c04931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
It is important to clarify the transport of biomolecules and chemicals to tissues. Herein, we present an electrochemical imaging method for evaluating the endothelial permeability. In this method, the diffusion of electrochemical tracers, [Fe(CN)6]4-, through a monolayer of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was monitored using a large-scale integration-based device containing 400 electrodes. In conventional tracer-based assays, tracers that diffuse through an HUVEC monolayer into another channel are detected. In contrast, the present method does not employ separated channels. In detail, a HUVEC monolayer is immersed in a solution containing [Fe(CN)6]4- on the device. As [Fe(CN)6]4- is oxidized and consumed at the packed electrodes, [Fe(CN)6]4- begins to diffuse through the monolayer from the bulk solution to the electrodes and the obtained currents depend on the endothelial permeability. As a proof-of-concept, the effects of histamine on the monolayer were monitored. Also, an HUVEC monolayer was cocultured with cancer spheroids, and the endothelial permeability was monitored to evaluate the metastasis of the cancer spheroids. Unlike conventional methods, the device can provide spatial information, allowing the interaction between the monolayer and the spheroids to be monitored. The developed method is a promising tool for organs-on-a-chip and drug screening in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Ino
- Graduate
School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-11 Aramaki-aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Hao-Jen Pai
- Graduate
School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku
University, 6-6-11 Aramaki-aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Kaoru Hiramoto
- Graduate
School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku
University, 6-6-11 Aramaki-aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Utagawa
- Graduate
School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku
University, 6-6-11 Aramaki-aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Yuji Nashimoto
- Graduate
School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-11 Aramaki-aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
- Frontier
Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Shiku
- Graduate
School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-11 Aramaki-aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
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64
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Renous N, Kiri MD, Barnea RA, Rauti R, Leichtmann-Bardoogo Y, Maoz BM. Spatial trans-epithelial electrical resistance (S-TEER) integrated in organs-on-chips. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 22:71-79. [PMID: 34878455 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00789k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Transepithelial/transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) is a label-free assay that is commonly used to assess tissue barrier integrity. TEER measurement systems have been embedded in organ-on-a-chip devices to provide live readouts of barrier functionality. Yet, these systems commonly provide the impedance values which correspond to the highest level of permeability throughout the chip and cannot provide localized information on specific regions of interest. This work introduces a system that provides this essential information: a spatial-TEER (S-TEER) organ-on-a-chip platform, which incorporates moving (scanning) electrodes that can measure electrical resistance at any desired location along the chip. We demonstrate the system's capacity to obtain localized measurements of permeability in selected regions of a cell sample. We show how, in a layer with non-uniform levels of cell coverage, permeability is higher in areas with lower cell density-suggesting that the system can be used to monitor local cellular growth in vitro. To demonstrate the applicability of the chip in studies of barrier function, we characterize tissue response to TNF-α and to EGTA, agents known to harm tissue barrier integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Renous
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - Mark D Kiri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - Ronny A Barnea
- School of Chemistry, Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Rossana Rauti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | | | - Ben M Maoz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- The Center of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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65
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Paloschi V, Sabater-Lleal M, Middelkamp H, Vivas A, Johansson S, van der Meer A, Tenje M, Maegdefessel L. Organ-on-a-chip technology: a novel approach to investigate cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovasc Res 2021; 117:2742-2754. [PMID: 33729461 PMCID: PMC8683705 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvab088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of organs-on-chip (OoC) has revolutionized in vitro cell-culture experiments by allowing a better mimicry of human physiology and pathophysiology that has consequently led researchers to gain more meaningful insights into disease mechanisms. Several models of hearts-on-chips and vessels-on-chips have been demonstrated to recapitulate fundamental aspects of the human cardiovascular system in the recent past. These 2D and 3D systems include synchronized beating cardiomyocytes in hearts-on-chips and vessels-on-chips with layer-based structures and the inclusion of physiological and pathological shear stress conditions. The opportunities to discover novel targets and to perform drug testing with chip-based platforms have substantially enhanced, thanks to the utilization of patient-derived cells and precise control of their microenvironment. These organ models will provide an important asset for future approaches to personalized cardiovascular medicine and improved patient care. However, certain technical and biological challenges remain, making the global utilization of OoCs to tackle unanswered questions in cardiovascular science still rather challenging. This review article aims to introduce and summarize published work on hearts- and vessels-on chips but also to provide an outlook and perspective on how these advanced in vitro systems can be used to tailor disease models with patient-specific characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Paloschi
- Department for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Technical University Munich, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Sabater-Lleal
- Research Institute of Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, IIB Sant Pau, Genomics of Complex Diseases Group, Barcelona, Spain
- Cardiovascular Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Aisen Vivas
- BIOS/Lab on a Chip, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
- Applied Stem Cell Technologies, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Sofia Johansson
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Maria Tenje
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Maegdefessel
- Department for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Technical University Munich, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Berlin, Germany
- Molecular Vascular Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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66
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Rahman S, Ghiboub M, Donkers JM, van de Steeg E, van Tol EAF, Hakvoort TBM, de Jonge WJ. The Progress of Intestinal Epithelial Models from Cell Lines to Gut-On-Chip. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413472. [PMID: 34948271 PMCID: PMC8709104 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past years, several preclinical in vitro and ex vivo models have been developed that helped to understand some of the critical aspects of intestinal functions in health and disease such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the translation to the human in vivo situation remains problematic. The main reason for this is that these approaches fail to fully reflect the multifactorial and complex in vivo environment (e.g., including microbiota, nutrition, and immune response) in the gut system. Although conventional models such as cell lines, Ussing chamber, and the everted sac are still used, increasingly more sophisticated intestinal models have been developed over the past years including organoids, InTESTine™ and microfluidic gut-on-chip. In this review, we gathered the most recent insights on the setup, advantages, limitations, and future perspectives of most frequently used in vitro and ex vivo models to study intestinal physiology and functions in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shafaque Rahman
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Amsterdam Gastroenterology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105 BK Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (S.R.); (M.G.); (T.B.M.H.)
| | - Mohammed Ghiboub
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Amsterdam Gastroenterology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105 BK Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (S.R.); (M.G.); (T.B.M.H.)
- Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Emma Children’s Hospital, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joanne M. Donkers
- The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), 3704 HE Zeist, The Netherlands; (J.M.D.); (E.v.d.S.); (E.A.F.v.T.)
| | - Evita van de Steeg
- The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), 3704 HE Zeist, The Netherlands; (J.M.D.); (E.v.d.S.); (E.A.F.v.T.)
| | - Eric A. F. van Tol
- The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), 3704 HE Zeist, The Netherlands; (J.M.D.); (E.v.d.S.); (E.A.F.v.T.)
| | - Theodorus B. M. Hakvoort
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Amsterdam Gastroenterology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105 BK Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (S.R.); (M.G.); (T.B.M.H.)
| | - Wouter J. de Jonge
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Amsterdam Gastroenterology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105 BK Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (S.R.); (M.G.); (T.B.M.H.)
- Department of Surgery, University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
- Correspondence:
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67
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Moreira Teixeira L, Mezzanotte L. New bioimaging avenues for organs‐on‐chips by integration of bioluminescence. VIEW 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/viw.20200177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Moreira Teixeira
- Department of Developmental Bioengineering Technical Medical Centre University of Twente Enschede The Netherlands
| | - Laura Mezzanotte
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam The Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Genetics Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam The Netherlands
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68
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Zarrintaj P, Saeb MR, Stadler FJ, Yazdi MK, Nezhad MN, Mohebbi S, Seidi F, Ganjali MR, Mozafari M. Human Organs-on-Chips: A Review of the State-of-the-Art, Current Prospects, and Future Challenges. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2021; 6:e2000526. [PMID: 34837667 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
New emerging technologies, remarkably miniaturized 3D organ models and microfluidics, enable simulation of the real in vitro microenvironment ex vivo more closely. There are many fascinating features of innovative organ-on-a-chip (OOC) technology, including the possibility of integrating semipermeable and/or stretchable membranes, creating continuous perfusion of fluids into microchannels and chambers (while maintaining laminar flow regime), embedding microdevices like microsensors, microstimulators, micro heaters, or different cell lines, along with other 3D cell culture technologies. OOC systems are designed to imitate the structure and function of human organs, ranging from breathing lungs to beating hearts. This technology is expected to be able to revolutionize cell biology studies, personalized precision medicine, drug development process, and cancer diagnosis/treatment. OOC systems can significantly reduce the cost associated with tedious drug development processes and the risk of adverse drug reactions in the body, which makes drug screening more effective. The review mainly focus on presenting an overview of the several previously developed OOC systems accompanied by subjects relevant to pharmacy-, cancer-, and placenta-on-a-chip. The challenging issues and opportunities related to these systems are discussed, along with a future perspective for this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payam Zarrintaj
- School of Chemical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, 420 Engineering North, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
| | - Mohammad Reza Saeb
- Department of Polymer Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, G. Narutowicza 11/12, Gdańsk, 80-233, Poland
| | - Florian J Stadler
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Mohsen Khodadadi Yazdi
- Center of Excellence in Electrochemistry, School of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417466191, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Nasiri Nezhad
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Urmia University of Technology, Urmia, 57166-419, Iran
| | - Shabnam Mohebbi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tabriz University, Tabriz, 51335-1996, Iran
| | - Farzad Seidi
- Joint International Research Lab of Lignocellulosic Functional Materials, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Mohammad Reza Ganjali
- Center of Excellence in Electrochemistry, School of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, 1417466191, Iran.,Biosensor Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 14395-1179, Iran
| | - Masoud Mozafari
- Department of Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1449614535, Iran
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69
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Tajeddin A, Mustafaoglu N. Design and Fabrication of Organ-on-Chips: Promises and Challenges. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:1443. [PMID: 34945293 PMCID: PMC8707724 DOI: 10.3390/mi12121443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The advent of the miniaturization approach has influenced the research trends in almost all disciplines. Bioengineering is one of the fields benefiting from the new possibilities of microfabrication techniques, especially in cell and tissue culture, disease modeling, and drug discovery. The limitations of existing 2D cell culture techniques, the high time and cost requirements, and the considerable failure rates have led to the idea of 3D cell culture environments capable of providing physiologically relevant tissue functions in vitro. Organ-on-chips are microfluidic devices used in this context as a potential alternative to in vivo animal testing to reduce the cost and time required for drug evaluation. This emerging technology contributes significantly to the development of various research areas, including, but not limited to, tissue engineering and drug discovery. However, it also brings many challenges. Further development of the technology requires interdisciplinary studies as some problems are associated with the materials and their manufacturing techniques. Therefore, in this paper, organ-on-chip technologies are presented, focusing on the design and fabrication requirements. Then, state-of-the-art materials and microfabrication techniques are described in detail to show their advantages and also their limitations. A comparison and identification of gaps for current use and further studies are therefore the subject of the final discussion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Tajeddin
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Tuzla 34596, Istanbul, Turkey;
| | - Nur Mustafaoglu
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Tuzla 34596, Istanbul, Turkey;
- Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Sabanci University, Tuzla 34596, Istanbul, Turkey
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70
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Zhang P, Shao N, Qin L. Recent Advances in Microfluidic Platforms for Programming Cell-Based Living Materials. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2005944. [PMID: 34270839 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202005944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Cell-based living materials, including single cells, cell-laden fibers, cell sheets, organoids, and organs, have attracted intensive interests owing to their widespread applications in cancer therapy, regenerative medicine, drug development, and so on. Significant progress in materials, microfabrication, and cell biology have promoted the development of numerous promising microfluidic platforms for programming these cell-based living materials with a high-throughput, scalable, and efficient manner. In this review, the recent progress of novel microfluidic platforms for programming cell-based living materials is presented. First, the unique features, categories, and materials and related fabrication methods of microfluidic platforms are briefly introduced. From the viewpoint of the design principles of the microfluidic platforms, the recent significant advances of programming single cells, cell-laden fibers, cell sheets, organoids, and organs in turns are then highlighted. Last, by providing personal perspectives on challenges and future trends, this review aims to motivate researchers from the fields of materials and engineering to work together with biologists and physicians to promote the development of cell-based living materials for human healthcare-related applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengchao Zhang
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Ning Shao
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Lidong Qin
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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71
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Utagawa Y, Hiramoto K, Nashimoto Y, Ino K, Shiku H. In vitro electrochemical assays for vascular cells and organs. ELECTROCHEMICAL SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/elsa.202100089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yoshinobu Utagawa
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies Tohoku University Aoba‐ku Sendai Japan
| | - Kaoru Hiramoto
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies Tohoku University Aoba‐ku Sendai Japan
| | - Yuji Nashimoto
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences Tohoku University Aoba‐ku Sendai Japan
- Graduate School of Engineering Tohoku University Aoba‐ku Sendai Japan
| | - Kosuke Ino
- Graduate School of Engineering Tohoku University Aoba‐ku Sendai Japan
| | - Hitoshi Shiku
- Graduate School of Engineering Tohoku University Aoba‐ku Sendai Japan
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72
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Winkler TE, Herland A. Sorption of Neuropsychopharmaca in Microfluidic Materials for In Vitro Studies. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:45161-45174. [PMID: 34528803 PMCID: PMC8485331 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c07639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Sorption (i.e., adsorption and absorption) of small-molecule compounds to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a widely acknowledged phenomenon. However, studies to date have largely been conducted under atypical conditions for microfluidic applications (lack of perfusion, lack of biological fluids, etc.), especially considering biological studies such as organs-on-chips where small-molecule sorption poses the largest concern. Here, we present an in-depth study of small-molecule sorption under relevant conditions for microphysiological systems, focusing on a standard geometry for biological barrier studies that find application in pharmacokinetics. We specifically assess the sorption of a broad compound panel including 15 neuropsychopharmaca at in vivo concentration levels. We consider devices constructed from PDMS as well as two material alternatives (off-stoichiometry thiol-ene-epoxy, or tape/polycarbonate laminates). Moreover, we study the much neglected impact of peristaltic pump tubing, an essential component of the recirculating systems required to achieve in vivo-like perfusion shear stresses. We find that the choice of the device material does not have a significant impact on the sorption behavior in our barrier-on-chip-type system. Our PDMS observations in particular suggest that excessive compound sorption observed in prior studies is not sufficiently described by compound hydrophobicity or other suggested predictors. Critically, we show that sorption by peristaltic tubing, including the commonly utilized PharMed BPT, dominates over device sorption even on an area-normalized basis, let alone at the typically much larger tubing surface areas. Our findings highlight the importance of validating compound dosages in organ-on-chip studies, as well as the need for considering tubing materials with equal or higher care than device materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E. Winkler
- Division
of Micro- and Nanosystems, KTH Royal Institute
of Technology, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Herland
- Division
of Micro- and Nanosystems, KTH Royal Institute
of Technology, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden
- AIMES,
Center for Integrated Medical and Engineering Science, Department
of Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Solna 17165, Sweden
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73
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Stein JM, Mummery CL, Bellin M. Engineered models of the human heart: Directions and challenges. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:2049-2057. [PMID: 33338434 PMCID: PMC8452488 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human heart (patho)physiology is now widely studied using human pluripotent stem cells, but the immaturity of derivative cardiomyocytes has largely limited disease modeling to conditions associated with mutations in cardiac ion channel genes. Recent advances in tissue engineering and organoids have, however, created new opportunities to study diseases beyond "channelopathies." These synthetic cardiac structures allow quantitative measurement of contraction, force, and other biophysical parameters in three-dimensional configurations, in which the cardiomyocytes in addition become more mature. Multiple cardiac-relevant cell types are also often combined to form organized cardiac tissue mimetic constructs, where cell-cell, cell-extracellular matrix, and paracrine interactions can be mimicked. In this review, we provide an overview of some of the most promising technologies being implemented specifically in personalized heart-on-a-chip models and explore their applications, drawbacks, and potential for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen M Stein
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333ZA, the Netherlands
| | - Christine L Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333ZA, the Netherlands; Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, University of Twente, Enschede 7500AE, the Netherlands
| | - Milena Bellin
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333ZA, the Netherlands; Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua 35131, Italy; Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padua 35129, Italy.
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74
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Malik M, Yang Y, Fathi P, Mahler GJ, Esch MB. Critical Considerations for the Design of Multi-Organ Microphysiological Systems (MPS). Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:721338. [PMID: 34568333 PMCID: PMC8459628 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.721338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification and approval of new drugs for use in patients requires extensive preclinical studies and clinical trials. Preclinical studies rely on in vitro experiments and animal models of human diseases. The transferability of drug toxicity and efficacy estimates to humans from animal models is being called into question. Subsequent clinical studies often reveal lower than expected efficacy and higher drug toxicity in humans than that seen in animal models. Microphysiological systems (MPS), sometimes called organ or human-on-chip models, present a potential alternative to animal-based models used for drug toxicity screening. This review discusses multi-organ MPS that can be used to model diseases and test the efficacy and safety of drug candidates. The translation of an in vivo environment to an in vitro system requires physiologically relevant organ scaling, vascular dimensions, and appropriate flow rates. Even small changes in those parameters can alter the outcome of experiments conducted with MPS. With many MPS devices being developed, we have outlined some established standards for designing MPS devices and described techniques to validate the devices. A physiologically realistic mimic of the human body can help determine the dose response and toxicity effects of a new drug candidate with higher predictive power.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mridu Malik
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
- Biophysical and Biomedical Measurement Group, Physical Measurement Laboratory, Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, United States
| | - Yang Yang
- Biophysical and Biomedical Measurement Group, Physical Measurement Laboratory, Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Parinaz Fathi
- Department of Bioengineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Gretchen J. Mahler
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Mandy B. Esch
- Biophysical and Biomedical Measurement Group, Physical Measurement Laboratory, Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, United States
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75
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Ferrari E, Rasponi M. Liver-Heart on chip models for drug safety. APL Bioeng 2021; 5:031505. [PMID: 34286172 PMCID: PMC8282347 DOI: 10.1063/5.0048986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Current pre-clinical models to evaluate drug safety during the drug development process (DDP) mainly rely on traditional two-dimensional cell cultures, considered too simplistic and often ineffective, or animal experimentations, which are costly, time-consuming, and not truly representative of human responses. Their clinical translation thus remains limited, eventually causing attrition and leading to high rates of failure during clinical trials. These drawbacks can be overcome by the recently developed Organs-on-Chip (OoC) technology. OoC are sophisticated in vitro systems capable of recapitulating pivotal architecture and functionalities of human organs. OoC are receiving increasing attention from the stakeholders of the DDP, particularly concerning drug screening and safety applications. When a drug is administered in the human body, it is metabolized by the liver and the resulting compound may cause unpredicted toxicity on off-target organs such as the heart. In this sense, several liver and heart models have been widely adopted to assess the toxicity of new or recalled drugs. Recent advances in OoC technology are making available platforms encompassing multiple organs fluidically connected to efficiently assess and predict the systemic effects of compounds. Such Multi-Organs-on-Chip (MOoC) platforms represent a disruptive solution to study drug-related effects, which results particularly useful to predict liver metabolism on off-target organs to ultimately improve drug safety testing in the pre-clinical phases of the DDP. In this review, we focus on recently developed liver and heart on chip systems for drug toxicity testing. In addition, MOoC platforms encompassing connected liver and heart tissues have been further reviewed and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Ferrari
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Rasponi
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
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76
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State of the art in integrated biosensors for organ-on-a-chip applications. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2021; 19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2021.100309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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77
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Larsen JB, Taebnia N, Dolatshahi-Pirouz A, Eriksen AZ, Hjørringgaard C, Kristensen K, Larsen NW, Larsen NB, Marie R, Mündler AK, Parhamifar L, Urquhart AJ, Weller A, Mortensen KI, Flyvbjerg H, Andresen TL. Imaging therapeutic peptide transport across intestinal barriers. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:1115-1143. [PMID: 34458827 PMCID: PMC8341777 DOI: 10.1039/d1cb00024a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Oral delivery is a highly preferred method for drug administration due to high patient compliance. However, oral administration is intrinsically challenging for pharmacologically interesting drug classes, in particular pharmaceutical peptides, due to the biological barriers associated with the gastrointestinal tract. In this review, we start by summarizing the pharmacological performance of several clinically relevant orally administrated therapeutic peptides, highlighting their low bioavailabilities. Thus, there is a strong need to increase the transport of peptide drugs across the intestinal barrier to realize future treatment needs and further development in the field. Currently, progress is hampered by a lack of understanding of transport mechanisms that govern intestinal absorption and transport of peptide drugs, including the effects of the permeability enhancers commonly used to mediate uptake. We describe how, for the past decades, mechanistic insights have predominantly been gained using functional assays with end-point read-out capabilities, which only allow indirect study of peptide transport mechanisms. We then focus on fluorescence imaging that, on the other hand, provides opportunities to directly visualize and thus follow peptide transport at high spatiotemporal resolution. Consequently, it may provide new and detailed mechanistic understanding of the interplay between the physicochemical properties of peptides and cellular processes; an interplay that determines the efficiency of transport. We review current methodology and state of the art in the field of fluorescence imaging to study intestinal barrier transport of peptides, and provide a comprehensive overview of the imaging-compatible in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo platforms that currently are being developed to accelerate this emerging field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannik Bruun Larsen
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Nayere Taebnia
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Alireza Dolatshahi-Pirouz
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Anne Zebitz Eriksen
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Claudia Hjørringgaard
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Kasper Kristensen
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Nanna Wichmann Larsen
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Niels Bent Larsen
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Rodolphe Marie
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Ann-Kathrin Mündler
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Ladan Parhamifar
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Andrew James Urquhart
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Arjen Weller
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Kim I Mortensen
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Henrik Flyvbjerg
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
| | - Thomas Lars Andresen
- Center for Intestinal Absorption and Transport of Biopharmaceuticals, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
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Matthiesen I, Voulgaris D, Nikolakopoulou P, Winkler TE, Herland A. Continuous Monitoring Reveals Protective Effects of N-Acetylcysteine Amide on an Isogenic Microphysiological Model of the Neurovascular Unit. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2101785. [PMID: 34174140 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202101785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Microphysiological systems mimic the in vivo cellular ensemble and microenvironment with the goal of providing more human-like models for biopharmaceutical research. In this study, the first such model of the blood-brain barrier (BBB-on-chip) featuring both isogenic human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cells and continuous barrier integrity monitoring with <2 min temporal resolution is reported. Its capabilities are showcased in the first microphysiological study of nitrosative stress and antioxidant prophylaxis. Relying on off-stoichiometry thiol-ene-epoxy (OSTE+) for fabrication greatly facilitates assembly and sensor integration compared to the prevalent polydimethylsiloxane devices. The integrated cell-substrate endothelial resistance monitoring allows for capturing the formation and breakdown of the BBB model, which consists of cocultured hiPSC-derived endothelial-like and astrocyte-like cells. Clear cellular disruption is observed when exposing the BBB-on-chip to the nitrosative stressor linsidomine, and the barrier permeability and barrier-protective effects of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine amide are reported. Using metabolomic network analysis reveals further drug-induced changes consistent with prior literature regarding, e.g., cysteine and glutathione involvement. A model like this opens new possibilities for drug screening studies and personalized medicine, relying solely on isogenic human-derived cells and providing high-resolution temporal readouts that can help in pharmacodynamic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Matthiesen
- Division of Micro- and Nanosystems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Malvinas Väg 10 pl 5, Stockholm, 100 44, Sweden
| | - Dimitrios Voulgaris
- Division of Micro- and Nanosystems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Malvinas Väg 10 pl 5, Stockholm, 100 44, Sweden
- AIMES, Center for Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Solnavägen 9/B8, Solna, 171 65, Sweden
| | - Polyxeni Nikolakopoulou
- AIMES, Center for Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Solnavägen 9/B8, Solna, 171 65, Sweden
| | - Thomas E Winkler
- Division of Micro- and Nanosystems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Malvinas Väg 10 pl 5, Stockholm, 100 44, Sweden
| | - Anna Herland
- Division of Micro- and Nanosystems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Malvinas Väg 10 pl 5, Stockholm, 100 44, Sweden
- AIMES, Center for Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Solnavägen 9/B8, Solna, 171 65, Sweden
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79
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Wagner KT, Nash TR, Liu B, Vunjak-Novakovic G, Radisic M. Extracellular Vesicles in Cardiac Regeneration: Potential Applications for Tissues-on-a-Chip. Trends Biotechnol 2021; 39:755-773. [PMID: 32958383 PMCID: PMC7969481 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Strategies to regenerate cardiac tissue postinjury are limited and heart transplantation remains the only 'cure' for a failing heart. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), membrane-bound cell secretions important in intercellular signaling, have been shown to play a crucial role in regulating heart function. A mechanistic understanding of the role of EVs in the heart remains elusive due to the challenges in studying the native human heart. Tissue-on-a-chip platforms, comprising functional, physiologically relevant human tissue models, are an emerging technology that has yet to be fully applied to the study of EVs. In this review, we summarize recent advances in cardiac tissue-on-a-chip (CTC) platforms and discuss how they are uniquely situated to advance our understanding of EVs in cardiac disease and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl T Wagner
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Trevor R Nash
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bohao Liu
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Milica Radisic
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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80
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Kulkeaw K, Pengsart W. Progress and Challenges in the Use of a Liver-on-a-Chip for Hepatotropic Infectious Diseases. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12070842. [PMID: 34357252 PMCID: PMC8306537 DOI: 10.3390/mi12070842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The liver is a target organ of life-threatening pathogens and prominently contributes to the variation in drug responses and drug-induced liver injury among patients. Currently available drugs significantly decrease the morbidity and mortality of liver-dwelling pathogens worldwide; however, emerging clinical evidence reveals the importance of host factors in the design of safe and effective therapies for individuals, known as personalized medicine. Given the primary adherence of cells in conventional two-dimensional culture, the use of these one-size-fit-to-all models in preclinical drug development can lead to substantial failures in assessing therapeutic safety and efficacy. Advances in stem cell biology, bioengineering and material sciences allow us to develop a more physiologically relevant model that is capable of recapitulating the human liver. This report reviews the current use of liver-on-a-chip models of hepatotropic infectious diseases in the context of precision medicine including hepatitis virus and malaria parasites, assesses patient-specific responses to antiviral drugs, and designs personalized therapeutic treatments to address the need for a personalized liver-like model. Second, most organs-on-chips lack a monitoring system for cell functions in real time; thus, the review discusses recent advances and challenges in combining liver-on-a-chip technology with biosensors for assessing hepatocyte viability and functions. Prospectively, the biosensor-integrated liver-on-a-chip device would provide novel biological insights that could accelerate the development of novel therapeutic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasem Kulkeaw
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +66-2-419-6468 (ext. 96484)
| | - Worakamol Pengsart
- Faculty of Graduate Studies, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand;
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81
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Fuchs S, Johansson S, Tjell AØ, Werr G, Mayr T, Tenje M. In-Line Analysis of Organ-on-Chip Systems with Sensors: Integration, Fabrication, Challenges, and Potential. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 7:2926-2948. [PMID: 34133114 PMCID: PMC8278381 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c01110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Organ-on-chip systems are promising new in vitro research tools in medical, pharmaceutical, and biological research. Their main benefit, compared to standard cell culture platforms, lies in the improved in vivo resemblance of the cell culture environment. A critical aspect of these systems is the ability to monitor both the cell culture conditions and biological responses of the cultured cells, such as proliferation and differentiation rates, release of signaling molecules, and metabolic activity. Today, this is mostly done using microscopy techniques and off-chip analytical techniques and assays. Integrating in situ analysis methods on-chip enables improved time resolution, continuous measurements, and a faster read-out; hence, more information can be obtained from the developed organ and disease models. Integrated electrical, electrochemical, and optical sensors have been developed and used for chemical analysis in lab-on-a-chip systems for many years, and recently some of these sensing principles have started to find use in organ-on-chip systems as well. This perspective review describes the basic sensing principles, sensor fabrication, and sensor integration in organ-on-chip systems. The review also presents the current state of the art of integrated sensors and discusses future potential. We bring a technological perspective, with the aim of introducing in-line sensing and its promise to advance organ-on-chip systems and the challenges that lie in the integration to researchers without expertise in sensor technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Fuchs
- Institute
for Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse 9, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Sofia Johansson
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 35, 751 03 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anders Ø. Tjell
- Institute
for Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse 9, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Gabriel Werr
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 35, 751 03 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Torsten Mayr
- Institute
for Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse 9, A-8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Maria Tenje
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 35, 751 03 Uppsala, Sweden
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Guttenplan APM, Tahmasebi Birgani Z, Giselbrecht S, Truckenmüller RK, Habibović P. Chips for Biomaterials and Biomaterials for Chips: Recent Advances at the Interface between Microfabrication and Biomaterials Research. Adv Healthc Mater 2021; 10:e2100371. [PMID: 34033239 PMCID: PMC11468311 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202100371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the use of microfabrication techniques has allowed biomaterials studies which were originally carried out at larger length scales to be miniaturized as so-called "on-chip" experiments. These miniaturized experiments have a range of advantages which have led to an increase in their popularity. A range of biomaterial shapes and compositions are synthesized or manufactured on chip. Moreover, chips are developed to investigate specific aspects of interactions between biomaterials and biological systems. Finally, biomaterials are used in microfabricated devices to replicate the physiological microenvironment in studies using so-called "organ-on-chip," "tissue-on-chip" or "disease-on-chip" models, which can reduce the use of animal models with their inherent high cost and ethical issues, and due to the possible use of human cells can increase the translation of research from lab to clinic. This review gives an overview of recent developments at the interface between microfabrication and biomaterials science, and indicates potential future directions that the field may take. In particular, a trend toward increased scale and automation is apparent, allowing both industrial production of micron-scale biomaterials and high-throughput screening of the interaction of diverse materials libraries with cells and bioengineered tissues and organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander P. M. Guttenplan
- Department of Instructive Biomaterials EngineeringMERLN Institute for Technology‐Inspired Regenerative MedicineMaastricht UniversityUniversiteitssingel 40Maastricht6229ERThe Netherlands
| | - Zeinab Tahmasebi Birgani
- Department of Instructive Biomaterials EngineeringMERLN Institute for Technology‐Inspired Regenerative MedicineMaastricht UniversityUniversiteitssingel 40Maastricht6229ERThe Netherlands
| | - Stefan Giselbrecht
- Department of Instructive Biomaterials EngineeringMERLN Institute for Technology‐Inspired Regenerative MedicineMaastricht UniversityUniversiteitssingel 40Maastricht6229ERThe Netherlands
| | - Roman K. Truckenmüller
- Department of Instructive Biomaterials EngineeringMERLN Institute for Technology‐Inspired Regenerative MedicineMaastricht UniversityUniversiteitssingel 40Maastricht6229ERThe Netherlands
| | - Pamela Habibović
- Department of Instructive Biomaterials EngineeringMERLN Institute for Technology‐Inspired Regenerative MedicineMaastricht UniversityUniversiteitssingel 40Maastricht6229ERThe Netherlands
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83
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King O, Sunyovszki I, Terracciano CM. Vascularisation of pluripotent stem cell-derived myocardium: biomechanical insights for physiological relevance in cardiac tissue engineering. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1117-1136. [PMID: 33855631 PMCID: PMC8245389 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02557-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The myocardium is a diverse environment, requiring coordination between a variety of specialised cell types. Biochemical crosstalk between cardiomyocytes (CM) and microvascular endothelial cells (MVEC) is essential to maintain contractility and healthy tissue homeostasis. Yet, as myocytes beat, heterocellular communication occurs also through constantly fluctuating biomechanical stimuli, namely (1) compressive and tensile forces generated directly by the beating myocardium, and (2) pulsatile shear stress caused by intra-microvascular flow. Despite endothelial cells (EC) being highly mechanosensitive, the role of biomechanical stimuli from beating CM as a regulatory mode of myocardial-microvascular crosstalk is relatively unexplored. Given that cardiac biomechanics are dramatically altered during disease, and disruption of myocardial-microvascular communication is a known driver of pathological remodelling, understanding the biomechanical context necessary for healthy myocardial-microvascular interaction is of high importance. The current gap in understanding can largely be attributed to technical limitations associated with reproducing dynamic physiological biomechanics in multicellular in vitro platforms, coupled with limited in vitro viability of primary cardiac tissue. However, differentiation of CM from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) has provided an unlimited source of human myocytes suitable for designing in vitro models. This technology is now converging with the diverse field of tissue engineering, which utilises in vitro techniques designed to enhance physiological relevance, such as biomimetic extracellular matrix (ECM) as 3D scaffolds, microfluidic perfusion of vascularised networks, and complex multicellular architectures generated via 3D bioprinting. These strategies are now allowing researchers to design in vitro platforms which emulate the cell composition, architectures, and biomechanics specific to the myocardial-microvascular microenvironment. Inclusion of physiological multicellularity and biomechanics may also induce a more mature phenotype in stem cell-derived CM, further enhancing their value. This review aims to highlight the importance of biomechanical stimuli as determinants of CM-EC crosstalk in cardiac health and disease, and to explore emerging tissue engineering and hPSC technologies which can recapitulate physiological dynamics to enhance the value of in vitro cardiac experimentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oisín King
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, ICTEM 4th floor, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
| | - Ilona Sunyovszki
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, ICTEM 4th floor, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Cesare M Terracciano
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, ICTEM 4th floor, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
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84
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Andrysiak K, Stępniewski J, Dulak J. Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, 3D cardiac structures, and heart-on-a-chip as tools for drug research. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1061-1085. [PMID: 33629131 PMCID: PMC8245367 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02536-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Development of new drugs is of high interest for the field of cardiac and cardiovascular diseases, which are a dominant cause of death worldwide. Before being allowed to be used and distributed, every new potentially therapeutic compound must be strictly validated during preclinical and clinical trials. The preclinical studies usually involve the in vitro and in vivo evaluation. Due to the increasing reporting of discrepancy in drug effects in animal and humans and the requirement to reduce the number of animals used in research, improvement of in vitro models based on human cells is indispensable. Primary cardiac cells are difficult to access and maintain in cell culture for extensive experiments; therefore, the human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) became an excellent alternative. This technology enables a production of high number of patient- and disease-specific cardiomyocytes and other cardiac cell types for a large-scale research. The drug effects can be extensively evaluated in the context of electrophysiological responses with a use of well-established tools, such as multielectrode array (MEA), patch clamp, or calcium ion oscillation measurements. Cardiotoxicity, which is a common reason for withdrawing drugs from marketing or rejection at final stages of clinical trials, can be easily verified with a use of hiPSC-CM model providing a prediction of human-specific responses and higher safety of clinical trials involving patient cohort. Abovementioned studies can be performed using two-dimensional cell culture providing a high-throughput and relatively lower costs. On the other hand, more complex structures, such as engineered heart tissue, organoids, or spheroids, frequently applied as co-culture systems, represent more physiological conditions and higher maturation rate of hiPSC-derived cells. Furthermore, heart-on-a-chip technology has recently become an increasingly popular tool, as it implements controllable culture conditions, application of various stimulations and continuous parameters read-out. This paper is an overview of possible use of cardiomyocytes and other cardiac cell types derived from hiPSC as in vitro models of heart in drug research area prepared on the basis of latest scientific reports and providing thorough discussion regarding their advantages and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalina Andrysiak
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Jacek Stępniewski
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Józef Dulak
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
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85
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Ahmed HMMAM, Moreira Teixeira LS. New Endeavors of (Micro)Tissue Engineering: Cells Tissues Organs on-Chip and Communication Thereof. Cells Tissues Organs 2021; 211:721-735. [PMID: 34198305 DOI: 10.1159/000516356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of new therapies is tremendously hampered by the insufficient availability of human model systems suitable for preclinical research on disease target identification, drug efficacy, and toxicity. Thus, drug failures in clinical trials are too common and too costly. Animal models or standard 2D in vitro tissue cultures, regardless of whether they are human based, are regularly not representative of specific human responses. Approaching near human tissues and organs test systems is the key goal of organs-on-chips (OoC) technology. This technology is currently showing its potential to reduce both drug development costs and time-to-market, while critically lessening animal testing. OoC are based on human (stem) cells, potentially derived from healthy or disease-affected patients, thereby amenable to personalized therapy development. It is noteworthy that the OoC market potential goes beyond pharma, with the possibility to test cosmetics, food additives, or environmental contaminants. This (micro)tissue engineering-based technology is highly multidisciplinary, combining fields such as (developmental) biology, (bio)materials, microfluidics, sensors, and imaging. The enormous potential of OoC is currently facing an exciting new challenge: emulating cross-communication between tissues and organs, to simulate more complex systemic responses, such as in cancer, or restricted to confined environments, as occurs in osteoarthritis. This review describes key examples of multiorgan/tissue-on-chip approaches, or linked organs/tissues-on-chip, focusing on challenges and promising new avenues of this advanced model system. Additionally, major emphasis is given to the translation of established tissue engineering approaches, bottom up and top down, towards the development of more complex, robust, and representative (multi)organ/tissue-on-chip approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haysam M M A M Ahmed
- Department of Developmental Bioengineering, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands,
| | - Liliana S Moreira Teixeira
- Department of Developmental Bioengineering, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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86
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Bennet TJ, Randhawa A, Hua J, Cheung KC. Airway-On-A-Chip: Designs and Applications for Lung Repair and Disease. Cells 2021; 10:1602. [PMID: 34206722 PMCID: PMC8304815 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The lungs are affected by illnesses including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and infections such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2. Physiologically relevant models for respiratory conditions will be essential for new drug development. The composition and structure of the lung extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a major role in the function of the lung tissue and cells. Lung-on-chip models have been developed to address some of the limitations of current two-dimensional in vitro models. In this review, we describe various ECM substitutes utilized for modeling the respiratory system. We explore the application of lung-on-chip models to the study of cigarette smoke and electronic cigarette vapor. We discuss the challenges and opportunities related to model characterization with an emphasis on in situ characterization methods, both established and emerging. We discuss how further advancements in the field, through the incorporation of interstitial cells and ECM, have the potential to provide an effective tool for interrogating lung biology and disease, especially the mechanisms that involve the interstitial elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya J. Bennet
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (T.J.B.); (A.R.); (J.H.)
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Avineet Randhawa
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (T.J.B.); (A.R.); (J.H.)
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Jessica Hua
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (T.J.B.); (A.R.); (J.H.)
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Karen C. Cheung
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (T.J.B.); (A.R.); (J.H.)
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
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87
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Organ-on-a-chip technology for the study of the female reproductive system. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 173:461-478. [PMID: 33831478 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, organs-on-a-chip and microphysiological systems have emerged as a disruptive in vitro technology for biopharmaceutical applications. By enabling new capabilities to engineer physiological living tissues and organ units in the precisely controlled environment of microfabricated devices, these systems offer great promise to advance the frontiers of basic and translational research in biomedical sciences. Here, we review an emerging body of interdisciplinary work directed towards harnessing the power of organ-on-a-chip technology for reproductive biology and medicine. The focus of this topical review is to provide an overview of recent progress in the development of microengineered female reproductive organ models with relevance to drug delivery and discovery. We introduce the engineering design of these advanced in vitro systems and examine their applications in the study of pregnancy, infertility, and reproductive diseases. We also present two case studies that use organ-on-a-chip design principles to model placental drug transport and hormonally regulated crosstalk between multiple female reproductive organs. Finally, we discuss challenges and opportunities for the advancement of reproductive organ-on-a-chip technology.
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88
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Rauti R, Ess A, Le Roi B, Kreinin Y, Epshtein M, Korin N, Maoz BM. Transforming a well into a chip: A modular 3D-printed microfluidic chip. APL Bioeng 2021; 5:026103. [PMID: 33948527 PMCID: PMC8084581 DOI: 10.1063/5.0039366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Organ-on-a-Chip platforms provide rich opportunities to observe interactions between different cell types under in vivo-like conditions, i.e., in the presence of flow. Yet, the costs and know-how required for the fabrication and implementation of these platforms restrict their accessibility. This study introduces and demonstrates a novel Insert-Chip: a microfluidic device that provides the functionality of an Organ-on-a-Chip platform, namely, the capacity to co-culture cells, expose them to flow, and observe their interactions-yet can easily be integrated into standard culture systems (e.g., well plates or multi-electrode arrays). The device is produced using stereolithograpy 3D printing and is user-friendly and reusable. Moreover, its design features overcome some of the measurement and imaging challenges characterizing standard Organ-on-a-Chip platforms. We have co-cultured endothelial and epithelial cells under flow conditions to demonstrate the functionality of the device. Overall, this novel microfluidic device is a promising platform for the investigation of biological functions, cell-cell interactions, and response to therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossana Rauti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv
University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Adi Ess
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv
University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Baptiste Le Roi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv
University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Yevgeniy Kreinin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel
Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Mark Epshtein
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel
Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Netanel Korin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel
Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Ben M. Maoz
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
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89
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Ferguson C, Pini N, Du X, Farina M, Hwang JMC, Pietrangelo T, Cheng X. Broadband electrical impedance as a novel characterization of oxidative stress in single L6 skeletal muscle cells. Anal Chim Acta 2021; 1173:338678. [PMID: 34172152 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2021.338678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Oxidative stress (OS) is one of the leading causes of cytotoxicity and is linked to many human physio-pathological conditions. In particular, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) induced by OS is debilitating to quality of life, while no clear biological markers have been identified for diagnostic measures. Recently, impedance measurements of peripheral blood cells of ME/CFS patients have been shown as a promising approach to diagnose the disease. Inspired by this study and aiming to interrogate muscle cells directly, we investigated if broadband measurements of single muscle cells could differentiate normal and oxidatively stressed cell populations. We first optimized a protocol through H2O2 treatment to introduce oxidative stress to cultured rat L6 skeletal muscle cells. The treated cells were further characterized through broadband impedance spectroscopy of single cells using a microfluidic lab-on-a-chip system. The resulting dielectric properties of cytoplasm permittivity and conductivity are electrically distinct from normally cultured cells. The reflection and transmission coefficients, ΔS11 and ΔS21, of the normal cells are tightly clustered and closely resemble those of the cell-free solution across the frequency range of 9 kHz to 9 GHz. On the other hand, dielectric properties of the oxidized cells have a wide distribution in the GHz range, deviating both in the positive and negative directions from the normally cultured cells. Simulation results guide our hypothesis that the dielectric differences could be linked to ion alterations, while calcium imaging directly supports the contribution of calcium flux to the observed deviation of S parameters. The unique electrical profile associated with oxidized cells in the GHz frequencies provide a framework for future development of technologies to diagnose oxidative-stress related diseases such as ME/CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Niccolo Pini
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Science, University G. D'Annuzio, Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Xiaotian Du
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | - Marco Farina
- Department of Engineering of Information, University Politecnica delle Marche, Marche, Italy
| | - James M C Hwang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | - Tiziana Pietrangelo
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Science, University G. D'Annuzio, Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Xuanhong Cheng
- Department of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
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90
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Bossink EGBM, Zakharova M, de Bruijn DS, Odijk M, Segerink LI. Measuring barrier function in organ-on-chips with cleanroom-free integration of multiplexable electrodes. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:2040-2049. [PMID: 33861228 PMCID: PMC8130670 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc01289k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Transepithelial/transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurements can be applied in organ-on-chips (OoCs) to estimate the barrier properties of a tissue or cell layer in a continuous, non-invasive, and label-free manner. Assessing the barrier integrity in in vitro models is valuable for studying and developing barrier targeting drugs. Several systems for measuring the TEER have been shown, but each of them having their own drawbacks. This article presents a cleanroom-free fabrication method for the integration of platinum electrodes in a polydimethylsiloxane OoC, allowing the real-time assessment of the barrier function by employing impedance spectroscopy. The proposed method and electrode arrangement allow visual inspection of the cells cultured in the device at the site of the electrodes, and multiplexing of both the electrodes in one OoC and the number of OoCs in one device. The effectiveness of our system is demonstrated by lining the OoC with intestinal epithelial cells, creating a gut-on-chip, where we monitored the formation, as well as the disruption and recovery of the cell barrier during a 21 day culture period. The application is further expanded by creating a blood-brain-barrier, to show that the proposed fabrication method can be applied to monitor the barrier formation in the OoC for different types of biological barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsbeth G B M Bossink
- BIOS Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Technical Medical Center and Max Planck Institute for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, The Netherlands.
| | - Mariia Zakharova
- BIOS Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Technical Medical Center and Max Planck Institute for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, The Netherlands.
| | - Douwe S de Bruijn
- BIOS Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Technical Medical Center and Max Planck Institute for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, The Netherlands.
| | - Mathieu Odijk
- BIOS Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Technical Medical Center and Max Planck Institute for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, The Netherlands.
| | - Loes I Segerink
- BIOS Lab on a Chip Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Technical Medical Center and Max Planck Institute for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, The Netherlands.
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91
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Rimsa R, Galvanovskis A, Plume J, Rumnieks F, Grindulis K, Paidere G, Erentraute S, Mozolevskis G, Abols A. Lung on a Chip Development from Off-Stoichiometry Thiol-Ene Polymer. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:546. [PMID: 34064627 PMCID: PMC8151799 DOI: 10.3390/mi12050546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Current in vitro models have significant limitations for new respiratory disease research and rapid drug repurposing. Lung on a chip (LOAC) technology offers a potential solution to these problems. However, these devices typically are fabricated from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which has small hydrophobic molecule absorption, which hinders the application of this technology in drug repurposing for respiratory diseases. Off-stoichiometry thiol-ene (OSTE) is a promising alternative material class to PDMS. Therefore, this study aimed to test OSTE as an alternative material for LOAC prototype development and compare it to PDMS. We tested OSTE material for light transmission, small molecule absorption, inhibition of enzymatic reactions, membrane particle, and fluorescent dye absorption. Next, we microfabricated LOAC devices from PDMS and OSTE, functionalized with human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) and A549 cell lines, and analyzed them with immunofluorescence. We demonstrated that compared to PDMS, OSTE has similar absorption of membrane particles and effect on enzymatic reactions, significantly lower small molecule absorption, and lower light transmission. Consequently, the immunofluorescence of OSTE LOAC was significantly impaired by OSTE optical properties. In conclusion, OSTE is a promising material for LOAC, but optical issues should be addressed in future LOAC prototypes to benefit from the material properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberts Rimsa
- Institute of Solid-State Physics, University of Latvia, 8 Kengaraga Str., LV-1063 Riga, Latvia; (R.R.); (K.G.); (G.P.); (G.M.)
| | - Artis Galvanovskis
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Str 1, k-1, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (A.G.); (J.P.); (F.R.); (S.E.)
| | - Janis Plume
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Str 1, k-1, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (A.G.); (J.P.); (F.R.); (S.E.)
| | - Felikss Rumnieks
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Str 1, k-1, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (A.G.); (J.P.); (F.R.); (S.E.)
| | - Karlis Grindulis
- Institute of Solid-State Physics, University of Latvia, 8 Kengaraga Str., LV-1063 Riga, Latvia; (R.R.); (K.G.); (G.P.); (G.M.)
| | - Gunita Paidere
- Institute of Solid-State Physics, University of Latvia, 8 Kengaraga Str., LV-1063 Riga, Latvia; (R.R.); (K.G.); (G.P.); (G.M.)
| | - Sintija Erentraute
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Str 1, k-1, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (A.G.); (J.P.); (F.R.); (S.E.)
| | - Gatis Mozolevskis
- Institute of Solid-State Physics, University of Latvia, 8 Kengaraga Str., LV-1063 Riga, Latvia; (R.R.); (K.G.); (G.P.); (G.M.)
| | - Arturs Abols
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Str 1, k-1, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia; (A.G.); (J.P.); (F.R.); (S.E.)
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92
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Rothbauer M, Bachmann BE, Eilenberger C, Kratz SR, Spitz S, Höll G, Ertl P. A Decade of Organs-on-a-Chip Emulating Human Physiology at the Microscale: A Critical Status Report on Progress in Toxicology and Pharmacology. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:470. [PMID: 33919242 PMCID: PMC8143089 DOI: 10.3390/mi12050470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Organ-on-a-chip technology has the potential to accelerate pharmaceutical drug development, improve the clinical translation of basic research, and provide personalized intervention strategies. In the last decade, big pharma has engaged in many academic research cooperations to develop organ-on-a-chip systems for future drug discoveries. Although most organ-on-a-chip systems present proof-of-concept studies, miniaturized organ systems still need to demonstrate translational relevance and predictive power in clinical and pharmaceutical settings. This review explores whether microfluidic technology succeeded in paving the way for developing physiologically relevant human in vitro models for pharmacology and toxicology in biomedical research within the last decade. Individual organ-on-a-chip systems are discussed, focusing on relevant applications and highlighting their ability to tackle current challenges in pharmacological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Rothbauer
- Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry and Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/163-164, 1060 Vienna, Austria; (B.E.M.B.); (C.E.); (S.R.A.K.); (S.S.); (G.H.)
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, 1200 Vienna, Austria
- Karl Chiari Lab for Orthopaedic Biology, Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-22, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Barbara E.M. Bachmann
- Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry and Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/163-164, 1060 Vienna, Austria; (B.E.M.B.); (C.E.); (S.R.A.K.); (S.S.); (G.H.)
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, 1200 Vienna, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Allgemeine Unfallversicherungsanstalt (AUVA) Research Centre, Donaueschingenstraße 13, 1200 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Eilenberger
- Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry and Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/163-164, 1060 Vienna, Austria; (B.E.M.B.); (C.E.); (S.R.A.K.); (S.S.); (G.H.)
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, 1200 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian R.A. Kratz
- Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry and Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/163-164, 1060 Vienna, Austria; (B.E.M.B.); (C.E.); (S.R.A.K.); (S.S.); (G.H.)
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, 1200 Vienna, Austria
- Drug Delivery and 3R-Models Group, Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences & Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology, Goethe University Frankfurt Am Main, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sarah Spitz
- Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry and Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/163-164, 1060 Vienna, Austria; (B.E.M.B.); (C.E.); (S.R.A.K.); (S.S.); (G.H.)
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, 1200 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Höll
- Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry and Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/163-164, 1060 Vienna, Austria; (B.E.M.B.); (C.E.); (S.R.A.K.); (S.S.); (G.H.)
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, 1200 Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Ertl
- Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry and Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/163-164, 1060 Vienna, Austria; (B.E.M.B.); (C.E.); (S.R.A.K.); (S.S.); (G.H.)
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, 1200 Vienna, Austria
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93
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Azizgolshani H, Coppeta JR, Vedula EM, Marr EE, Cain BP, Luu RJ, Lech MP, Kann SH, Mulhern TJ, Tandon V, Tan K, Haroutunian NJ, Keegan P, Rogers M, Gard AL, Baldwin KB, de Souza JC, Hoefler BC, Bale SS, Kratchman LB, Zorn A, Patterson A, Kim ES, Petrie TA, Wiellette EL, Williams C, Isenberg BC, Charest JL. High-throughput organ-on-chip platform with integrated programmable fluid flow and real-time sensing for complex tissue models in drug development workflows. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:1454-1474. [PMID: 33881130 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00067e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Drug development suffers from a lack of predictive and human-relevant in vitro models. Organ-on-chip (OOC) technology provides advanced culture capabilities to generate physiologically appropriate, human-based tissue in vitro, therefore providing a route to a predictive in vitro model. However, OOC technologies are often created at the expense of throughput, industry-standard form factors, and compatibility with state-of-the-art data collection tools. Here we present an OOC platform with advanced culture capabilities supporting a variety of human tissue models including liver, vascular, gastrointestinal, and kidney. The platform has 96 devices per industry standard plate and compatibility with contemporary high-throughput data collection tools. Specifically, we demonstrate programmable flow control over two physiologically relevant flow regimes: perfusion flow that enhances hepatic tissue function and high-shear stress flow that aligns endothelial monolayers. In addition, we integrate electrical sensors, demonstrating quantification of barrier function of primary gut colon tissue in real-time. We utilize optical access to the tissues to directly quantify renal active transport and oxygen consumption via integrated oxygen sensors. Finally, we leverage the compatibility and throughput of the platform to screen all 96 devices using high content screening (HCS) and evaluate gene expression using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). By combining these capabilities in one platform, physiologically-relevant tissues can be generated and measured, accelerating optimization of an in vitro model, and ultimately increasing predictive accuracy of in vitro drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Azizgolshani
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - J R Coppeta
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - E M Vedula
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - E E Marr
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - B P Cain
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - R J Luu
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - M P Lech
- Pfizer, Inc., 1 Portland Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - S H Kann
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. and Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, 110 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - T J Mulhern
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - V Tandon
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - K Tan
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | | | - P Keegan
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - M Rogers
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - A L Gard
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - K B Baldwin
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - J C de Souza
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - B C Hoefler
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - S S Bale
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - L B Kratchman
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - A Zorn
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - A Patterson
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - E S Kim
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - T A Petrie
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - E L Wiellette
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - C Williams
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - B C Isenberg
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - J L Charest
- Draper, 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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94
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Cameron T, Bennet T, Rowe EM, Anwer M, Wellington CL, Cheung KC. Review of Design Considerations for Brain-on-a-Chip Models. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:441. [PMID: 33921018 PMCID: PMC8071412 DOI: 10.3390/mi12040441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the need for sophisticated human in vitro models for integrative biology has motivated the development of organ-on-a-chip platforms. Organ-on-a-chip devices are engineered to mimic the mechanical, biochemical and physiological properties of human organs; however, there are many important considerations when selecting or designing an appropriate device for investigating a specific scientific question. Building microfluidic Brain-on-a-Chip (BoC) models from the ground-up will allow for research questions to be answered more thoroughly in the brain research field, but the design of these devices requires several choices to be made throughout the design development phase. These considerations include the cell types, extracellular matrix (ECM) material(s), and perfusion/flow considerations. Choices made early in the design cycle will dictate the limitations of the device and influence the end-point results such as the permeability of the endothelial cell monolayer, and the expression of cell type-specific markers. To better understand why the engineering aspects of a microfluidic BoC need to be influenced by the desired biological environment, recent progress in microfluidic BoC technology is compared. This review focuses on perfusable blood-brain barrier (BBB) and neurovascular unit (NVU) models with discussions about the chip architecture, the ECM used, and how they relate to the in vivo human brain. With increased knowledge on how to make informed choices when selecting or designing BoC models, the scientific community will benefit from shorter development phases and platforms curated for their application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany Cameron
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (T.C.); (T.B.)
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Tanya Bennet
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (T.C.); (T.B.)
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Elyn M. Rowe
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (E.M.R.); (M.A.); (C.L.W.)
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Mehwish Anwer
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (E.M.R.); (M.A.); (C.L.W.)
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Cheryl L. Wellington
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (E.M.R.); (M.A.); (C.L.W.)
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Karen C. Cheung
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (T.C.); (T.B.)
- Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
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95
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Kohl Y, Biehl M, Spring S, Hesler M, Ogourtsov V, Todorovic M, Owen J, Elje E, Kopecka K, Moriones OH, Bastús NG, Simon P, Dubaj T, Rundén-Pran E, Puntes V, William N, von Briesen H, Wagner S, Kapur N, Mariussen E, Nelson A, Gabelova A, Dusinska M, Velten T, Knoll T. Microfluidic In Vitro Platform for (Nano)Safety and (Nano)Drug Efficiency Screening. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2006012. [PMID: 33458959 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202006012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic technology is a valuable tool for realizing more in vitro models capturing cellular and organ level responses for rapid and animal-free risk assessment of new chemicals and drugs. Microfluidic cell-based devices allow high-throughput screening and flexible automation while lowering costs and reagent consumption due to their miniaturization. There is a growing need for faster and animal-free approaches for drug development and safety assessment of chemicals (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical Substances, REACH). The work presented describes a microfluidic platform for in vivo-like in vitro cell cultivation. It is equipped with a wafer-based silicon chip including integrated electrodes and a microcavity. A proof-of-concept using different relevant cell models shows its suitability for label-free assessment of cytotoxic effects. A miniaturized microscope within each module monitors cell morphology and proliferation. Electrodes integrated in the microfluidic channels allow the noninvasive monitoring of barrier integrity followed by a label-free assessment of cytotoxic effects. Each microfluidic cell cultivation module can be operated individually or be interconnected in a flexible way. The interconnection of the different modules aims at simulation of the whole-body exposure and response and can contribute to the replacement of animal testing in risk assessment studies in compliance with the 3Rs to replace, reduce, and refine animal experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Kohl
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Weg 1, Sulzbach, 66280, Germany
| | - Margit Biehl
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Weg 1, Sulzbach, 66280, Germany
| | - Sarah Spring
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Weg 1, Sulzbach, 66280, Germany
| | - Michelle Hesler
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Weg 1, Sulzbach, 66280, Germany
| | - Vladimir Ogourtsov
- Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Dyke Parade, Cork, T12 R5CP, Ireland
| | - Miomir Todorovic
- Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Dyke Parade, Cork, T12 R5CP, Ireland
| | - Joshua Owen
- Institute of Thermofluids, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Elisabeth Elje
- NILU-Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Department for Environmental Chemistry, Health Effects Laboratory, Instituttveien 18, Kjeller, 2007, Norway
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Oslo, Sognsvannsveien 9, Oslo, 0372, Norway
| | - Kristina Kopecka
- Department of Nanobiology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, Bratislava, 84505, Slovakia
| | - Oscar Hernando Moriones
- Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2), CSIC and BIST, Campus UAB, Bellaterra 08193, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Neus G Bastús
- Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2), CSIC and BIST, Campus UAB, Bellaterra 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Peter Simon
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology SUT, Radlinskeho 9, Bratislava, 812 37, Slovakia
| | - Tibor Dubaj
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology SUT, Radlinskeho 9, Bratislava, 812 37, Slovakia
| | - Elise Rundén-Pran
- NILU-Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Department for Environmental Chemistry, Health Effects Laboratory, Instituttveien 18, Kjeller, 2007, Norway
| | - Victor Puntes
- Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2), CSIC and BIST, Campus UAB, Bellaterra 08193, Barcelona, Spain
- Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, 08193, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, 08193, Spain
| | - Nicola William
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Hagen von Briesen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Weg 1, Sulzbach, 66280, Germany
| | - Sylvia Wagner
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Weg 1, Sulzbach, 66280, Germany
| | - Nikil Kapur
- Institute of Thermofluids, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Espen Mariussen
- NILU-Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Department for Environmental Chemistry, Health Effects Laboratory, Instituttveien 18, Kjeller, 2007, Norway
| | - Andrew Nelson
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Alena Gabelova
- Department of Nanobiology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, Bratislava, 84505, Slovakia
| | - Maria Dusinska
- NILU-Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Department for Environmental Chemistry, Health Effects Laboratory, Instituttveien 18, Kjeller, 2007, Norway
| | - Thomas Velten
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Weg 1, Sulzbach, 66280, Germany
| | - Thorsten Knoll
- Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Weg 1, Sulzbach, 66280, Germany
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96
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Yip JK, Sarkar D, Petersen AP, Gipson JN, Tao J, Kale S, Rexius-Hall ML, Cho N, Khalil NN, Kapadia R, McCain ML. Contact photolithography-free integration of patterned and semi-transparent indium tin oxide stimulation electrodes into polydimethylsiloxane-based heart-on-a-chip devices for streamlining physiological recordings. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:674-687. [PMID: 33439202 PMCID: PMC7968549 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00948b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Controlled electrical stimulation is essential for evaluating the physiology of cardiac tissues engineered in heart-on-a-chip devices. However, existing stimulation techniques, such as external platinum electrodes or opaque microelectrode arrays patterned on glass substrates, have limited throughput, reproducibility, or compatibility with other desirable features of heart-on-a-chip systems, such as the use of tunable culture substrates, imaging accessibility, or enclosure in a microfluidic device. In this study, indium tin oxide (ITO), a conductive, semi-transparent, and biocompatible material, was deposited onto glass and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-coated coverslips as parallel or point stimulation electrodes using laser-cut tape masks. ITO caused substrate discoloration but did not prevent brightfield imaging. ITO-patterned substrates were microcontact printed with arrayed lines of fibronectin and seeded with neonatal rat ventricular myocytes, which assembled into aligned cardiac tissues. ITO deposited as parallel or point electrodes was connected to an external stimulator and used to successfully stimulate micropatterned cardiac tissues to generate calcium transients or propagating calcium waves, respectively. ITO electrodes were also integrated into the cantilever-based muscular thin film (MTF) assay to stimulate and quantify the contraction of micropatterned cardiac tissues. To demonstrate the potential for multiple ITO electrodes to be integrated into larger, multiplexed systems, two sets of ITO electrodes were deposited onto a single substrate and used to stimulate the contraction of distinct micropatterned cardiac tissues independently. Collectively, these approaches for integrating ITO electrodes into heart-on-a-chip devices are relatively facile, modular, and scalable and could have diverse applications in microphysiological systems of excitable tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joycelyn K Yip
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Debarghya Sarkar
- Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Andrew P Petersen
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Jennifer N Gipson
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Jun Tao
- Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Salil Kale
- Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Megan L Rexius-Hall
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Nathan Cho
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Natalie N Khalil
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Rehan Kapadia
- Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Megan L McCain
- Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA. and Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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97
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Clarke GA, Hartse BX, Niaraki Asli AE, Taghavimehr M, Hashemi N, Abbasi Shirsavar M, Montazami R, Alimoradi N, Nasirian V, Ouedraogo LJ, Hashemi NN. Advancement of Sensor Integrated Organ-on-Chip Devices. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 21:1367. [PMID: 33671996 PMCID: PMC7922590 DOI: 10.3390/s21041367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Organ-on-chip devices have provided the pharmaceutical and tissue engineering worlds much hope since they arrived and began to grow in sophistication. However, limitations for their applicability were soon realized as they lacked real-time monitoring and sensing capabilities. The users of these devices relied solely on endpoint analysis for the results of their tests, which created a chasm in the understanding of life between the lab the natural world. However, this gap is being bridged with sensors that are integrated into organ-on-chip devices. This review goes in-depth on different sensing methods, giving examples for various research on mechanical, electrical resistance, and bead-based sensors, and the prospects of each. Furthermore, the review covers works conducted that use specific sensors for oxygen, and various metabolites to characterize cellular behavior and response in real-time. Together, the outline of these works gives a thorough analysis of the design methodology and sophistication of the current sensor integrated organ-on-chips.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A. Clarke
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Brenna X. Hartse
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Amir Ehsan Niaraki Asli
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Mehrnoosh Taghavimehr
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Niloofar Hashemi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11365, Iran;
| | - Mehran Abbasi Shirsavar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Reza Montazami
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Nima Alimoradi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Vahid Nasirian
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Lionel J. Ouedraogo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Nicole N. Hashemi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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98
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Holloway PM, Willaime-Morawek S, Siow R, Barber M, Owens RM, Sharma AD, Rowan W, Hill E, Zagnoni M. Advances in microfluidic in vitro systems for neurological disease modeling. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:1276-1307. [PMID: 33583054 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Neurological disorders are the leading cause of disability and the second largest cause of death worldwide. Despite significant research efforts, neurology remains one of the most failure-prone areas of drug development. The complexity of the human brain, boundaries to examining the brain directly in vivo, and the significant evolutionary gap between animal models and humans, all serve to hamper translational success. Recent advances in microfluidic in vitro models have provided new opportunities to study human cells with enhanced physiological relevance. The ability to precisely micro-engineer cell-scale architecture, tailoring form and function, has allowed for detailed dissection of cell biology using microphysiological systems (MPS) of varying complexities from single cell systems to "Organ-on-chip" models. Simplified neuronal networks have allowed for unique insights into neuronal transport and neurogenesis, while more complex 3D heterotypic cellular models such as neurovascular unit mimetics and "Organ-on-chip" systems have enabled new understanding of metabolic coupling and blood-brain barrier transport. These systems are now being developed beyond MPS toward disease specific micro-pathophysiological systems, moving from "Organ-on-chip" to "Disease-on-chip." This review gives an outline of current state of the art in microfluidic technologies for neurological disease research, discussing the challenges and limitations while highlighting the benefits and potential of integrating technologies. We provide examples of where such toolsets have enabled novel insights and how these technologies may empower future investigation into neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Holloway
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Richard Siow
- King's British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, School of Cardiovascular Medicine & Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Melissa Barber
- King's British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, School of Cardiovascular Medicine & Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Róisín M Owens
- Department Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anup D Sharma
- New Orleans BioInnovation Center, AxoSim Inc., New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Wendy Rowan
- Novel Human Genetics Research Unit, GSK R&D, Stevenage, UK
| | - Eric Hill
- School of Life and Health sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | - Michele Zagnoni
- Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
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99
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Farooqi HMU, Kang B, Khalid MAU, Salih ARC, Hyun K, Park SH, Huh D, Choi KH. Real-time monitoring of liver fibrosis through embedded sensors in a microphysiological system. NANO CONVERGENCE 2021; 8:3. [PMID: 33528697 PMCID: PMC7855143 DOI: 10.1186/s40580-021-00253-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Hepatic fibrosis is a foreshadowing of future adverse events like liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and cancer. Hepatic stellate cell activation is the main event of liver fibrosis, which results in excessive extracellular matrix deposition and hepatic parenchyma's disintegration. Several biochemical and molecular assays have been introduced for in vitro study of the hepatic fibrosis progression. However, they do not forecast real-time events happening to the in vitro models. Trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) is used in cell culture science to measure cell monolayer barrier integrity. Herein, we explored TEER measurement's utility for monitoring fibrosis development in a dynamic cell culture microphysiological system. Immortal HepG2 cells and fibroblasts were co-cultured, and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) was used as a fibrosis stimulus to create a liver fibrosis-on-chip model. A glass chip-based embedded TEER and reactive oxygen species (ROS) sensors were employed to gauge the effect of TGF-β1 within the microphysiological system, which promotes a positive feedback response in fibrosis development. Furthermore, albumin, Urea, CYP450 measurements, and immunofluorescent microscopy were performed to correlate the following data with embedded sensors responses. We found that chip embedded electrochemical sensors could be used as a potential substitute for conventional end-point assays for studying fibrosis in microphysiological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bohye Kang
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, Jeju-si, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Kinam Hyun
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, Jeju-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Hyuk Park
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, Jeju-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongeun Huh
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Kyung Hyun Choi
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, Jeju-si, Republic of Korea.
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100
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Glieberman AL, Pope BD, Melton DA, Parker KK. Building Biomimetic Potency Tests for Islet Transplantation. Diabetes 2021; 70:347-363. [PMID: 33472944 PMCID: PMC7881865 DOI: 10.2337/db20-0297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Diabetes is a disease of insulin insufficiency, requiring many to rely on exogenous insulin with constant monitoring to avoid a fatal outcome. Islet transplantation is a recent therapy that can provide insulin independence, but the procedure is still limited by both the availability of human islets and reliable tests to assess their function. While stem cell technologies are poised to fill the shortage of transplantable cells, better methods are still needed for predicting transplantation outcome. To ensure islet quality, we propose that the next generation of islet potency tests should be biomimetic systems that match glucose stimulation dynamics and cell microenvironmental preferences and rapidly assess conditional and continuous insulin secretion with minimal manual handing. Here, we review the current approaches for islet potency testing and outline technologies and methods that can be used to arrive at a more predictive potency test that tracks islet secretory capacity in a relevant context. With the development of potency tests that can report on islet secretion dynamics in a context relevant to their intended function, islet transplantation can expand into a more widely accessible and reliable treatment option for individuals with diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron L Glieberman
- Disease Biophysics Group, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
| | - Benjamin D Pope
- Disease Biophysics Group, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
| | - Douglas A Melton
- Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Cambridge, MA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA
| | - Kevin Kit Parker
- Disease Biophysics Group, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA
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