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Fardous RS, Alshmmari S, Tawfik E, Khadra I, Ramadan Q, Zourob M. An Integrated and Modular Compartmentalized Microfluidic System with Tunable Electrospun Porous Membranes for Epithelialized Organs-on-a-Chip. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024. [PMID: 39047263 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c08864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
A modular and 3D compartmentalized microfluidic system with electrospun porous membranes (PMs) for epithelialized organ-on-a-chip systems is presented. Our novel approach involves direct deposition of polymer nanofibers onto a patterned poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrate using electrospinning, resulting in an integrated PM within the microfluidic chip. The in situ deposition of the PM eliminates the need for additional assembly processes. To demonstrate the high throughput membrane integration capability of our approach, we successfully deposited nanofibers onto various chip designs with complex microfluidic planar structures and expanded dimensions. We characterized and tested the fully PMMA chip by growing an epithelial monolayer using the Caco-2 cell line to study drug permeability. A comprehensive analysis of the bulk and surface properties of the membrane's fibers made of PMMA and polystyrene (PS) was conducted to determine the polymer with the best performance for cell culture and drug transport applications. The PMMA-based membrane, with a PMMA/PVP ratio of 5:1, allowed for the fabrication of a uniform membrane structure along the aligned nanofibers. By modulating the fiber diameter and total thickness of the membrane, we could adjust the membrane's porosity for specific cell culture applications. The PMMA-PVP nanofibers exhibited a low polydispersity index value, indicating monodispersed nanofibers and a more homogeneous and uniform fiber network. Both types of membranes demonstrated excellent mechanical integrity under medium perfusion flow rates. However, the PMMA-PVP composition offered a tailored porous structure with modulable porosity based on the fiber diameter and thickness. Our developed platform enables dynamic in vitro modeling of the epithelial barrier and has applications in drug transport and in vitro microphysiological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roa S Fardous
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Strathclyde University, Glasgow G4 0RE, U.K
- Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Kingdome Saudi Arabia
| | - Sultan Alshmmari
- Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Albert-Einstein-Straße 9, Jena 07745, Germany
- Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Kingdome Saudi Arabia
| | - Essam Tawfik
- Advanced Diagnostics & Therapeutics Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh 12354, Kingdome Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim Khadra
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Strathclyde University, Glasgow G4 0RE, U.K
| | - Qasem Ramadan
- Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Kingdome Saudi Arabia
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Azuaje-Hualde E, Alonso-Cabrera JA, de Pancorbo MM, Benito-Lopez F, Basabe-Desmonts L. Integration of secreted signaling molecule sensing on cell monitoring platforms: a critical review. Anal Bioanal Chem 2024:10.1007/s00216-024-05435-1. [PMID: 39048740 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-024-05435-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Monitoring cell secretion in complex microenvironments is crucial for understanding cellular behavior and advancing physiological and pathological research. While traditional cell culture methods, including organoids and spheroids, provide valuable models, real-time monitoring of cell secretion of signaling molecules remains challenging. Integrating advanced monitoring technologies into these systems often disrupts the delicate balance of the microenvironment, making it difficult to achieve sensitivity and specificity. This review explored recent strategies for integrating the monitoring of cell secretion of signaling molecules, crucial for understanding and replicating cell microenvironments, within cell culture platforms, addressing challenges such as non-adherent cell models and the focus on single-cell methodologies. We highlight advancements in biosensors, microfluidics, and three-dimensional culture methods, and discuss their potential to enhance real-time, multiplexed cell monitoring. By examining the advantages, limitations, and future prospects of these technologies, we aim to contribute to the development of integrated systems that facilitate comprehensive cell monitoring, ultimately advancing biological research and pharmaceutical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Azuaje-Hualde
- Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU, BIOMICs Microfluidics Group, Lascaray Research Center, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Juncal A Alonso-Cabrera
- Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU, BIOMICs Microfluidics Group, Lascaray Research Center, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Marian M de Pancorbo
- BIOMICs Research Group, Lascaray Research Center, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Fernando Benito-Lopez
- Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU, Analytical Microsystems & Materials for Lab-on-a-Chip (AMMa-LOAC) Group, Analytical Chemistry Department, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain.
- Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU, Bioaraba Health Research Institute, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
- Basque Foundation of Science, IKERBASQUE, María Díaz Haroko Kalea, 3, 48013, Bilbao, Spain.
| | - Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts
- Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU, BIOMICs Microfluidics Group, Lascaray Research Center, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
- Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU, Bioaraba Health Research Institute, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
- Basque Foundation of Science, IKERBASQUE, María Díaz Haroko Kalea, 3, 48013, Bilbao, Spain.
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Ramadan Q, Hazaymeh R, Zourob M. Immunity-on-a-Chip: Integration of Immune Components into the Scheme of Organ-on-a-Chip Systems. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2200312. [PMID: 36866511 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200312] [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: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Studying the immune system in vitro aims to understand how, when, and where the immune cells migrate/differentiate and respond to the various triggering events and the decision points along the immune response journey. It becomes evident that organ-on-a-chip (OOC) technology has a superior capability to recapitulate the cell-cell and tissue-tissue interaction in the body, with a great potential to provide tools for tracking the paracrine signaling with high spatial-temporal precision and implementing in situ real-time, non-destructive detection assays, therefore, enabling extraction of mechanistic information rather than phenotypic information. However, despite the rapid development in this technology, integration of the immune system into OOC devices stays among the least navigated tasks, with immune cells still the major missing components in the developed models. This is mainly due to the complexity of the immune system and the reductionist methodology of the OOC modules. Dedicated research in this field is demanded to establish the understanding of mechanism-based disease endotypes rather than phenotypes. Herein, we systemically present a synthesis of the state-of-the-art of immune-cantered OOC technology. We comprehensively outlined what is achieved and identified the technology gaps emphasizing the missing components required to establish immune-competent OOCs and bridge these gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qasem Ramadan
- Alfaisal University, Riyadh, 11533, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Rana Hazaymeh
- Almaarefa University, Diriyah, 13713, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Morelli M, Kurek D, Ng CP, Queiroz K. Gut-on-a-Chip Models: Current and Future Perspectives for Host-Microbial Interactions Research. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020619. [PMID: 36831155 PMCID: PMC9953162 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The intestine contains the largest microbial community in the human body, the gut microbiome. Increasing evidence suggests that it plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health. However, while many studies have found a correlation between certain diseases and changes in the microbiome, the impact of different microbial compositions on the gut and the mechanisms by which they contribute to disease are not well understood. Traditional pre-clinical models, such as cell culture or animal models, are limited in their ability to mimic the complexity of human physiology. New mechanistic models, such as organ-on-a-chip, are being developed to address this issue. These models provide a more accurate representation of human physiology and could help bridge the gap between clinical and pre-clinical studies. Gut-on-chip models allow researchers to better understand the underlying mechanisms of disease and the effect of different microbial compositions on the gut. They can help to move the field from correlation to causation and accelerate the development of new treatments for diseases associated with changes in the gut microbiome. This review will discuss current and future perspectives of gut-on-chip models to study host-microbial interactions.
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