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Du C, Liu J, Liu S, Xiao P, Chen Z, Chen H, Huang W, Lei Y. Bone and Joint-on-Chip Platforms: Construction Strategies and Applications. SMALL METHODS 2024:e2400436. [PMID: 38763918 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202400436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Organ-on-a-chip, also known as "tissue chip," is an advanced platform based on microfluidic systems for constructing miniature organ models in vitro. They can replicate the complex physiological and pathological responses of human organs. In recent years, the development of bone and joint-on-chip platforms aims to simulate the complex physiological and pathological processes occurring in human bones and joints, including cell-cell interactions, the interplay of various biochemical factors, the effects of mechanical stimuli, and the intricate connections between multiple organs. In the future, bone and joint-on-chip platforms will integrate the advantages of multiple disciplines, bringing more possibilities for exploring disease mechanisms, drug screening, and personalized medicine. This review explores the construction and application of Organ-on-a-chip technology in bone and joint disease research, proposes a modular construction concept, and discusses the new opportunities and future challenges in the construction and application of bone and joint-on-chip platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengcheng Du
- Department of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Laboratory of Chongqing Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Jiacheng Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Laboratory of Chongqing Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Senrui Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Laboratory of Chongqing Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Pengcheng Xiao
- Department of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Laboratory of Chongqing Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Zhuolin Chen
- Department of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Laboratory of Chongqing Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Department of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Laboratory of Chongqing Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Laboratory of Chongqing Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Yiting Lei
- Department of Orthopedics, Orthopedic Laboratory of Chongqing Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
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Lockhart EJ, Horowitz LF, Rodríguez A, Zhu S, Nguyen T, Mehrabi M, Gujral TS, Folch A. Drug testing of monodisperse arrays of live microdissected tumors using a valved multiwell microfluidic platform. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2683-2699. [PMID: 38651213 DOI: 10.1039/d4lc00016a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Cancer drug testing in animals is an extremely poor predictor of the drug's safety and efficacy observed in humans. Hence there is a pressing need for functional testing platforms that better predict traditional and immunotherapy responses in human, live tumor tissue or tissue constructs, and at the same time are compatible with the use of mouse tumor tissue to facilitate building more accurate disease models. Since many cancer drug actions rely on mechanisms that depend on the tumor microenvironment (TME), such platforms should also retain as much of the native TME as possible. Additionally, platforms based on miniaturization technologies are desirable to reduce animal use and sensitivity to human tissue scarcity. Present high-throughput testing platforms that have some of these features, e.g. based on patient-derived tumor organoids, require a growth step that alters the TME. On the other hand, microdissected tumors (μDTs) or "spheroids" that retain an intact TME have shown promising responses to immunomodulators acting on native immune cells. However, difficult tissue handling after microdissection has reduced the throughput of drug testing on μDTs, thereby constraining the inherent advantages of producing numerous TME-preserving units of tissue for drug testing. Here we demonstrate a microfluidic 96-well platform designed for drug treatment of hundreds of similarly-sized, cuboidal μDTs ("cuboids") produced from a single tumor sample. The platform organizes a monodisperse array of four cuboids per well in 384 hydrodynamic traps. The microfluidic device, entirely fabricated in thermoplastics, features 96 microvalves that fluidically isolate each well after the cuboid loading step for straightforward multi-drug testing. Since our platform makes the most of scarce tumor tissue, it can potentially be applied to human biopsies that preserve the human TME while minimizing animal testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan J Lockhart
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
| | - Lisa F Horowitz
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
| | - Adán Rodríguez
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
| | - Songli Zhu
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, USA
| | - Tran Nguyen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
| | | | - Taranjit S Gujral
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, USA
| | - Albert Folch
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
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Grither WR, Baker B, Morikis VA, Ilagan MXG, Fuh KC, Longmore GD. ROR2/Wnt5a Signaling Regulates Directional Cell Migration and Early Tumor Cell Invasion in Ovarian Cancer. Mol Cancer Res 2024; 22:495-507. [PMID: 38334461 PMCID: PMC11065611 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-23-0616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Adhesion to and clearance of the mesothelial monolayer are key early events in metastatic seeding of ovarian cancer. ROR2 is a receptor tyrosine kinase that interacts with Wnt5a ligand to activate noncanonical Wnt signaling and has been previously shown to be upregulated in ovarian cancer tissue. However, no prior study has evaluated the mechanistic role of ROR2 in ovarian cancer. Through a cellular high-throughput genetic screen, we independently identified ROR2 as a driver of ovarian tumor cell adhesion and invasion. ROR2 expression in ovarian tumor cells serves to drive directed cell migration preferentially toward areas of high Wnt5a ligand, such as the mesothelial lined omentum. In addition, ROR2 promotes ovarian tumor cell adhesion and clearance of a mesothelial monolayer. Depletion of ROR2, in tumor cells, reduces metastatic tumor burden in a syngeneic model of ovarian cancer. These findings support the role of ROR2 in ovarian tumor cells as a critical factor contributing to the early steps of metastasis. Therapeutic targeting of the ROR2/Wnt5a signaling axis could provide a means of improving treatment for patients with advanced ovarian cancer. IMPLICATIONS This study demonstrates that ROR2 in ovarian cancer cells is important for directed migration to the metastatic niche and provides a potential signaling axis of interest for therapeutic targeting in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Whitney R. Grither
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Breanna Baker
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine Washington University, St. Louis. MO 63110, USA
| | - Vasilios A. Morikis
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine Washington University, St. Louis. MO 63110, USA
| | - Ma. Xenia G. Ilagan
- High Throughput Screening Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Katherine C. Fuh
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
| | - Gregory D. Longmore
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine Washington University, St. Louis. MO 63110, USA
- ICCE Institute, Washington University, St. Louis MO 63110, USA
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Du XY, Yang JY. Biomimetic microfluidic chips for toxicity assessment of environmental pollutants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 919:170745. [PMID: 38340832 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Various types of pollutants widely present in environmental media, including synthetic and natural chemicals, physical pollutants such as radioactive substances, ultraviolet rays, and noise, as well as biological organisms, pose a huge threat to public health. Therefore, it is crucial to accurately and effectively explore the human physiological responses and toxicity mechanisms of pollutants to prevent diseases caused by pollutants. The emerging toxicological testing method biomimetic microfluidic chips (BMCs) exhibit great potential in environmental pollutant toxicity assessment due to their superior biomimetic properties. The BMCs are divided into cell-on-chips and organ-on-chips based on the distinctions in bionic simulation levels. Herein, we first summarize the characteristics, emergence and development history, composition and structure, and application fields of BMCs. Then, with a focus on the toxicity mechanisms of pollutants, we review the applications and advances of the BMCs in the toxicity assessment of physical, chemical, and biological pollutants, respectively, highlighting its potential and development prospects in environmental toxicology testing. Finally, the opportunities and challenges for further use of BMCs are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yue Du
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Jin-Yan Yang
- College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China..
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Yoon S, Kilicarslan You D, Jeong U, Lee M, Kim E, Jeon TJ, Kim SM. Microfluidics in High-Throughput Drug Screening: Organ-on-a-Chip and C. elegans-Based Innovations. BIOSENSORS 2024; 14:55. [PMID: 38275308 PMCID: PMC10813408 DOI: 10.3390/bios14010055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The development of therapeutic interventions for diseases necessitates a crucial step known as drug screening, wherein potential substances with medicinal properties are rigorously evaluated. This process has undergone a transformative evolution, driven by the imperative need for more efficient, rapid, and high-throughput screening platforms. Among these, microfluidic systems have emerged as the epitome of efficiency, enabling the screening of drug candidates with unprecedented speed and minimal sample consumption. This review paper explores the cutting-edge landscape of microfluidic-based drug screening platforms, with a specific emphasis on two pioneering approaches: organ-on-a-chip and C. elegans-based chips. Organ-on-a-chip technology harnesses human-derived cells to recreate the physiological functions of human organs, offering an invaluable tool for assessing drug efficacy and toxicity. In parallel, C. elegans-based chips, boasting up to 60% genetic homology with humans and a remarkable affinity for microfluidic systems, have proven to be robust models for drug screening. Our comprehensive review endeavors to provide readers with a profound understanding of the fundamental principles, advantages, and challenges associated with these innovative drug screening platforms. We delve into the latest breakthroughs and practical applications in this burgeoning field, illuminating the pivotal role these platforms play in expediting drug discovery and development. Furthermore, we engage in a forward-looking discussion to delineate the future directions and untapped potential inherent in these transformative technologies. Through this review, we aim to contribute to the collective knowledge base in the realm of drug screening, providing valuable insights to researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders alike. We invite readers to embark on a journey into the realm of microfluidic-based drug screening platforms, fostering a deeper appreciation for their significance and promising avenues yet to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunhee Yoon
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea; (S.Y.); (D.K.Y.); (M.L.); (E.K.)
| | - Dilara Kilicarslan You
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea; (S.Y.); (D.K.Y.); (M.L.); (E.K.)
| | - Uiechan Jeong
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Mina Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea; (S.Y.); (D.K.Y.); (M.L.); (E.K.)
| | - Eunhye Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea; (S.Y.); (D.K.Y.); (M.L.); (E.K.)
| | - Tae-Joon Jeon
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea; (S.Y.); (D.K.Y.); (M.L.); (E.K.)
- Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
- Biohybrid Systems Research Center (BSRC), Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Min Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea; (S.Y.); (D.K.Y.); (M.L.); (E.K.)
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
- Biohybrid Systems Research Center (BSRC), Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
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Johnson BM, Johnson AM, Heim M, Buckley M, Mortimer B, Berry JL, Sewell-Loftin MK. Biomechanical stimulation promotes blood vessel growth despite VEGFR-2 inhibition. BMC Biol 2023; 21:290. [PMID: 38072992 PMCID: PMC10712065 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01792-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Angiogenesis, or the growth of new vasculature from existing blood vessels, is widely considered a primary hallmark of cancer progression. When a tumor is small, diffusion is sufficient to receive essential nutrients; however, as the tumor grows, a vascular supply is needed to deliver oxygen and nutrients into the increasing mass. Several anti-angiogenic cancer therapies target VEGF and the receptor VEGFR-2, which are major promoters of blood vessel development. Unfortunately, many of these cancer treatments fail to completely stop angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Since these therapies focus on the biochemical activation of VEGFR-2 via VEGF ligand binding, we propose that mechanical cues, particularly those found in the TME, may be a source of VEGFR-2 activation that promotes growth of blood vessel networks even in the presence of VEGF and VEGFR-2 inhibitors. RESULTS In this paper, we analyzed phosphorylation patterns of VEGFR-2, particularly at Y1054/Y1059 and Y1214, stimulated via either VEGF or biomechanical stimulation in the form of tensile strains. Our results show prolonged and enhanced activation at both Y1054/Y1059 and Y1214 residues when endothelial cells were stimulated with strain, VEGF, or a combination of both. We also analyzed Src expression, which is downstream of VEGFR-2 and can be activated through strain or the presence of VEGF. Finally, we used fibrin gels and microfluidic devices as 3D microtissue models to simulate the TME. We determined that regions of mechanical strain promoted increased vessel growth, even with VEGFR-2 inhibition through SU5416. CONCLUSIONS Overall, understanding both the effects that biomechanical and biochemical stimuli have on VEGFR-2 activation and angiogenesis is an important factor in developing effective anti-angiogenic therapies. This paper shows that VEGFR-2 can be mechanically activated through strain, which likely contributes to increased angiogenesis in the TME. These proof-of-concept studies show that small molecular inhibitors of VEGFR-2 do not fully prevent angiogenesis in 3D TME models when mechanical strains are introduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bronte Miller Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1824 6th Avenue South, Wallace Tumor Institute, Room 630A, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Allison McKenzie Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1824 6th Avenue South, Wallace Tumor Institute, Room 630A, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Michael Heim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1824 6th Avenue South, Wallace Tumor Institute, Room 630A, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Molly Buckley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1824 6th Avenue South, Wallace Tumor Institute, Room 630A, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Bryan Mortimer
- Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA
| | - Joel L Berry
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1824 6th Avenue South, Wallace Tumor Institute, Room 630A, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
- O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA
| | - Mary Kathryn Sewell-Loftin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1824 6th Avenue South, Wallace Tumor Institute, Room 630A, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
- O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA.
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Abdalkader RK, Fujita T. Corneal epithelium models for safety assessment in drug development: Present and future directions. Exp Eye Res 2023; 237:109697. [PMID: 37890755 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109697] [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: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
The human corneal epithelial barrier plays a crucial role in drug testing studies, including drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME), as well as toxicity testing during the preclinical stages of drug development. However, despite the valuable insights gained from animal and current in vitro models, there remains a significant discrepancy between preclinical drug predictions and actual clinical outcomes. Additionally, there is a growing emphasis on adhering to the 3R principles (refine, reduce, replace) to minimize the use of animals in testing. To tackle these challenges, there is a rising demand for alternative in vitro models that closely mimic the human corneal epithelium. Recently, remarkable advancements have been made in two key areas: microphysiological systems (MPS) or organs-on-chips (OoCs), and stem cell-derived organoids. These cutting-edge platforms integrate four major disciplines: stem cells, microfluidics, bioprinting, and biosensing technologies. This integration holds great promise in developing powerful and biomimetic models of the human cornea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodi Kado Abdalkader
- Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO), Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan.
| | - Takuya Fujita
- Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO), Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
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Wevers NR, De Vries HE. Microfluidic models of the neurovascular unit: a translational view. Fluids Barriers CNS 2023; 20:86. [PMID: 38008744 PMCID: PMC10680291 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-023-00490-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The vasculature of the brain consists of specialized endothelial cells that form a blood-brain barrier (BBB). This barrier, in conjunction with supporting cell types, forms the neurovascular unit (NVU). The NVU restricts the passage of certain substances from the bloodstream while selectively permitting essential nutrients and molecules to enter the brain. This protective role is crucial for optimal brain function, but presents a significant obstacle in treating neurological conditions, necessitating chemical modifications or advanced drug delivery methods for most drugs to cross the NVU. A deeper understanding of NVU in health and disease will aid in the identification of new therapeutic targets and drug delivery strategies for improved treatment of neurological disorders.To achieve this goal, we need models that reflect the human BBB and NVU in health and disease. Although animal models of the brain's vasculature have proven valuable, they are often of limited translational relevance due to interspecies differences or inability to faithfully mimic human disease conditions. For this reason, human in vitro models are essential to improve our understanding of the brain's vasculature under healthy and diseased conditions. This review delves into the advancements in in vitro modeling of the BBB and NVU, with a particular focus on microfluidic models. After providing a historical overview of the field, we shift our focus to recent developments, offering insights into the latest achievements and their associated constraints. We briefly examine the importance of chip materials and methods to facilitate fluid flow, emphasizing their critical roles in achieving the necessary throughput for the integration of microfluidic models into routine experimentation. Subsequently, we highlight the recent strides made in enhancing the biological complexity of microfluidic NVU models and propose recommendations for elevating the biological relevance of future iterations.Importantly, the NVU is an intricate structure and it is improbable that any model will fully encompass all its aspects. Fit-for-purpose models offer a valuable compromise between physiological relevance and ease-of-use and hold the future of NVU modeling: as simple as possible, as complex as needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nienke R Wevers
- MIMETAS BV, De Limes 7, Oegstgeest, 2342 DH, The Netherlands.
| | - Helga E De Vries
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience - Neuroinfection and Neuroinflammation, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Zhu L, Zhang J, Guo Q, Kuang J, Li D, Wu M, Mo Y, Zhang T, Gao X, Tan J. Advanced lung organoids and lung-on-a-chip for cancer research and drug evaluation: a review. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1299033. [PMID: 38026900 PMCID: PMC10662056 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1299033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer has become the primary cause of cancer-related deaths because of its high recurrence rate, ability to metastasise easily, and propensity to develop drug resistance. The wide-ranging heterogeneity of lung cancer subtypes increases the complexity of developing effective therapeutic interventions. Therefore, personalised diagnostic and treatment strategies are required to guide clinical practice. The advent of innovative three-dimensional (3D) culture systems such as organoid and organ-on-a-chip models provides opportunities to address these challenges and revolutionise lung cancer research and drug evaluation. In this review, we introduce the advancements in lung-related 3D culture systems, with a particular focus on lung organoids and lung-on-a-chip, and their latest contributions to lung cancer research and drug evaluation. These developments include various aspects, from authentic simulations and mechanistic enquiries into lung cancer to assessing chemotherapeutic agents and targeted therapeutic interventions. The new 3D culture system can mimic the pathological and physiological microenvironment of the lung, enabling it to supplement or replace existing two-dimensional culture models and animal experimental models and realize the potential for personalised lung cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leqing Zhu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Quanwei Guo
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jun Kuang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dongfang Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mengxi Wu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yijun Mo
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinghua Gao
- Materials Genome Institute, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianfeng Tan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
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Chaudhuri K, Medhi R, Zhang Z, Cai Z, Ober CK, Pham JT. Visualizing Penetration of Fluorescent Dye through Polymer Coatings. Macromol Rapid Commun 2023; 44:e2300304. [PMID: 37585219 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202300304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how small molecules penetrate and contaminate polymer films is of vital importance for developing protective coatings for a wide range of applications. To this end, rhodamine B fluorescent dye is visualized diffusing through polystyrene-polydimethylsiloxane block copolymer (BCP) coatings using confocal microscopy. The intensity of dye inside the coatings grows and decays non-monotonically, which is likely due to a combination of dye molecule transport occurring concurrently in different directions. An empirical fitting equation allows for comparing the contamination rates between copolymers, demonstrating that dye penetration is related to the chemical makeup and configuration of the BCPs. This work shows that confocal microscopy can be a useful tool to visualize the transport of a fluorophore in space and time through a coating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishnaroop Chaudhuri
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Riddhiman Medhi
- Chemistry Department, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, 18510, USA
| | - Zhenglin Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Zhuoyun Cai
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA
| | - Christopher K Ober
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Jonathan T Pham
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
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Ahmadianyazdi A, Miller IJ, Folch A. Tunable resins with PDMS-like elastic modulus for stereolithographic 3D-printing of multimaterial microfluidic actuators. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:4019-4032. [PMID: 37584639 PMCID: PMC10849085 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00529a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Stereolithographic 3D-printing (SLA) permits facile fabrication of high-precision microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip devices. SLA photopolymers often yield parts with low mechanical compliancy in sharp contrast to elastomers such as poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS). On the other hand, SLA-printable elastomers with soft mechanical properties do not fulfill the distinct requirements for a highly manufacturable resin in microfluidics (e.g., high-resolution printability, transparency, low-viscosity). These limitations restrict our ability to print microfluidic actuators containing dynamic, movable elements. Here we introduce low-viscous photopolymers based on a tunable blend of the monomers poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA, Mw ∼ 258) and the monoacrylate poly(ethylene glycol methyl ether) methacrylate (PEGMEMA, Mw ∼ 300). In these blends, which we term PEGDA-co-PEGMEMA, tuning the PEGMEMA content from 0% to 40% (v/v) alters the elastic modulus of the printed plastics by ∼400-fold, reaching that of PDMS. Through the addition of PEGMEMA, moreover, PEGDA-co-PEGMEMA retains desirable properties of highly manufacturable PEGDA such as low viscosity, solvent compatibility, cytocompatibility and low drug absorptivity. With PEGDA-co-PEGMEMA, we SLA-printed drastically enhanced fluidic actuators including microvalves, micropumps, and microregulators with a hybrid structure containing a flexible PEGDA-co-PEGMEMA membrane within a rigid PEGDA housing. These components were built using a custom "Print-Pause-Print" protocol, referred to as "3P-printing", that allows for fabricating high-resolution multimaterial parts with a desktop SLA printer without the need for post-assembly. SLA-printing of multimaterial microfluidic actuators addresses the unmet need of high-performance on-chip controls in 3D-printed microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip devices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Isaac J Miller
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Albert Folch
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA.
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12
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Corral-Nájera K, Chauhan G, Serna-Saldívar SO, Martínez-Chapa SO, Aeinehvand MM. Polymeric and biological membranes for organ-on-a-chip devices. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2023; 9:107. [PMID: 37649779 PMCID: PMC10462672 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00579-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Membranes are fundamental elements within organ-on-a-chip (OOC) platforms, as they provide adherent cells with support, allow nutrients (and other relevant molecules) to permeate/exchange through membrane pores, and enable the delivery of mechanical or chemical stimuli. Through OOC platforms, physiological processes can be studied in vitro, whereas OOC membranes broaden knowledge of how mechanical and chemical cues affect cells and organs. OOCs with membranes are in vitro microfluidic models that are used to replace animal testing for various applications, such as drug discovery and disease modeling. In this review, the relevance of OOCs with membranes is discussed as well as their scaffold and actuation roles, properties (physical and material), and fabrication methods in different organ models. The purpose was to aid readers with membrane selection for the development of OOCs with specific applications in the fields of mechanistic, pathological, and drug testing studies. Mechanical stimulation from liquid flow and cyclic strain, as well as their effects on the cell's increased physiological relevance (IPR), are described in the first section. The review also contains methods to fabricate synthetic and ECM (extracellular matrix) protein membranes, their characteristics (e.g., thickness and porosity, which can be adjusted depending on the application, as shown in the graphical abstract), and the biological materials used for their coatings. The discussion section joins and describes the roles of membranes for different research purposes and their advantages and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendra Corral-Nájera
- School of Engineering and Science, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey, 64849 Mexico
| | - Gaurav Chauhan
- School of Engineering and Science, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey, 64849 Mexico
| | - Sergio O. Serna-Saldívar
- School of Engineering and Science, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey, 64849 Mexico
| | - Sergio O. Martínez-Chapa
- School of Engineering and Science, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey, 64849 Mexico
| | - Mohammad Mahdi Aeinehvand
- School of Engineering and Science, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey, 64849 Mexico
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13
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Treviño EA, Shah J, Pearson JJ, Platt MO, Xia Y, Temenoff JS. Microfluidic Platform for Microparticle Fabrication and Release of a Cathepsin Inhibitor. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 2023; 29:361-370. [PMID: 37409411 PMCID: PMC10442676 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tec.2023.0015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cathepsins are a family of cysteine proteases responsible for a variety of homeostatic functions throughout the body, including extracellular matrix remodeling, and have been implicated in a variety of degenerative diseases. However, clinical trials using systemic administration of cathepsin inhibitors have been abandoned due to side effects, so local delivery of cathepsin inhibitors may be advantageous. In these experiments, a novel microfluidic device platform was developed that can synthesize uniform, hydrolytically degradable microparticles from a combination of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and dithiothreitol (DTT). Of the formulations examined, the 10-polymer weight percentage 10 mM DTT formulation degraded after 77 days in vitro. A modified assay using the DQ Gelatin Fluorogenic Substrate was used to demonstrate sustained release and bioactivity of a cathepsin inhibitor (E-64) released from hydrogel microparticles over 2 weeks in vitro (up to ∼13 μg/mL released with up to ∼40% original level of inhibition remaining at day 14). Altogether, the technologies developed in this study will allow a small-molecule, broad cathepsin inhibitor E-64 to be released in a sustained manner for localized inhibition of cathepsins for a wide variety of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elda A. Treviño
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jimmy Shah
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Joseph J. Pearson
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Manu O. Platt
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Younan Xia
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Johnna S. Temenoff
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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14
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Biosensor integrated brain-on-a-chip platforms: Progress and prospects in clinical translation. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 225:115100. [PMID: 36709589 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Because of the brain's complexity, developing effective treatments for neurological disorders is a formidable challenge. Research efforts to this end are advancing as in vitro systems have reached the point that they can imitate critical components of the brain's structure and function. Brain-on-a-chip (BoC) was first used for microfluidics-based systems with small synthetic tissues but has expanded recently to include in vitro simulation of the central nervous system (CNS). Defining the system's qualifying parameters may improve the BoC for the next generation of in vitro platforms. These parameters show how well a given platform solves the problems unique to in vitro CNS modeling (like recreating the brain's microenvironment and including essential parts like the blood-brain barrier (BBB)) and how much more value it offers than traditional cell culture systems. This review provides an overview of the practical concerns of creating and deploying BoC systems and elaborates on how these technologies might be used. Not only how advanced biosensing technologies could be integrated with BoC system but also how novel approaches will automate assays and improve point-of-care (PoC) diagnostics and accurate quantitative analyses are discussed. Key challenges providing opportunities for clinical translation of BoC in neurodegenerative disorders are also addressed.
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15
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Villata S, Canta M, Baruffaldi D, Pavan A, Chiappone A, Pirri CF, Frascella F, Roppolo I. 3D printable acrylate polydimethylsiloxane resins for cell culture and drug testing. Biomater Sci 2023; 11:2950-2959. [PMID: 36912680 DOI: 10.1039/d3bm00152k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, most of the microfluidic devices for biological applications are fabricated with only few well-established materials. Among these, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is the most used and known. However, it has many limitations, like the operator dependent and time-consuming manufacturing technique and the high molecule retention. TEGORad or Acrylate PDMS is an acrylate polydimethylsiloxane copolymer that can be 3D printed through Digital Light Processing (DLP), a technology that can boast reduction of waste products and the possibility of low cost and rapid manufacturing of complex components. Here, we developed 3D printed Acrylate PDMS-based devices for cell culture and drug testing. Our in vitro study shows that Acrylate PDMS can sustain cell growth of lung and skin epithelium, both of great interest for in vitro drug testing, without causing any genotoxic effect. Moreover, flow experiments with a drug-like solution (Rhodamine 6G) show that Acrylate PDMS drug retention is negligible unlike the high signal shown by PDMS. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that this acrylate resin can be an excellent alternative to PDMS to design stretchable platforms for cell culture and drug testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Villata
- Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Turin 10129, Italy.
| | - Marta Canta
- Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Turin 10129, Italy.
| | - Désirée Baruffaldi
- Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Turin 10129, Italy.
| | - Alice Pavan
- Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Turin 10129, Italy.
| | - Annalisa Chiappone
- Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Turin 10129, Italy.
| | - Candido Fabrizio Pirri
- Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Turin 10129, Italy. .,Center for Sustainable Futures @PolitoIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Livorno 60, Turin 10144, Italy
| | - Francesca Frascella
- Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Turin 10129, Italy.
| | - Ignazio Roppolo
- Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Turin 10129, Italy.
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16
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Komar ZM, van Gent DC, Chakrabarty S. Establishing a Microfluidic Tumor Slice Culture Platform to Study Drug Response. Curr Protoc 2023; 3:e693. [PMID: 36912175 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Accurate models for tumor biology and prediction of drug responses of individual tumors require novel technology to grow tumor tissue ex vivo to maintain tumor growth characteristics in situ. Models containing only tumor cells, without the stromal components of the tumor, are suboptimal for many purposes and are generally problematic because the cells are passed through extensive culture and selection. Therefore, direct culture of (human) tumors is of considerable interest for basic tumor biology and diagnostic purposes. Microfluidic technologies have been proposed to accurately mimic physiological conditions for tissue growth. Most published systems build tissues from individual cell types in so-called Organ-on-Chip (OoC) cultures. We here describe a novel OoC device for growing tumor specimens. Thin tumor slices are grown in a microfluidic 'chip' that allows precisely controlled in vitro culture conditions. The performance of the OoC device was extensively validated for predicting therapeutic responses in human breast cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor material. The system is amenable to primary tumor material from surgery or biopsies. In addition to using the model to predict and evaluate therapeutic responses, the model can also be used for mechanistic studies of human cancers, such as clonal evolution or immune responses, or to validate new or repurposed (cancer) drugs. The Bi/ond Cancer-on-Chip (CoC) device is designed to culture tumor slices and investigate aspects of tumor growth and drug responses. Here, we describe the step-by-step process of setting up tumor slice cultures using a Bi/ond CoC device and performing in vitro drug response evaluation. © 2023 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Establishment of breast cancer tumor slice culture using a microfluidic cancer-on-chip platform for chemotherapy testing ex vivo Basic Protocol 2: Histology and immunohistochemistry-based analysis of tumor tissue architecture, cell proliferation, and cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zofia M Komar
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dik C van Gent
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sanjiban Chakrabarty
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
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17
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Yang Z, Liu X, Cribbin EM, Kim AM, Li JJ, Yong KT. Liver-on-a-chip: Considerations, advances, and beyond. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2022; 16:061502. [PMID: 36389273 PMCID: PMC9646254 DOI: 10.1063/5.0106855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The liver is the largest internal organ in the human body with largest mass of glandular tissue. Modeling the liver has been challenging due to its variety of major functions, including processing nutrients and vitamins, detoxification, and regulating body metabolism. The intrinsic shortfalls of conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture methods for studying pharmacokinetics in parenchymal cells (hepatocytes) have contributed to suboptimal outcomes in clinical trials and drug development. This prompts the development of highly automated, biomimetic liver-on-a-chip (LOC) devices to simulate native liver structure and function, with the aid of recent progress in microfluidics. LOC offers a cost-effective and accurate model for pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and toxicity studies. This review provides a critical update on recent developments in designing LOCs and fabrication strategies. We highlight biomimetic design approaches for LOCs, including mimicking liver structure and function, and their diverse applications in areas such as drug screening, toxicity assessment, and real-time biosensing. We capture the newest ideas in the field to advance the field of LOCs and address current challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elise M. Cribbin
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Alice M. Kim
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Jiao Jiao Li
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
| | - Ken-Tye Yong
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
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18
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Wu J, Gao Y, Xi J, You X, Zhang X, Zhang X, Cao Y, Liu P, Chen X, Luan Y. A high-throughput microplate toxicity screening platform based on Caenorhabditis elegans. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 245:114089. [PMID: 36126550 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), an established model organism, has been widely used in environmental toxicology research. However, most of the current toxicity testing methods based on worms are time-consuming. In this study we aimed to develop an automated and highly-integrated platform for high-throughput and in situ toxicity testing. Considering the superiority of C. elegans as a neurotoxicological model, this platform mainly evaluates general toxicology and neurotoxicology endpoints, which are usually induced by metals and pesticides, the major environmental contaminants. Microplates were used as a worm culturing system, which have good compatibility with any commercial microplate applicable instruments. We developed a microfluidic-based module for worm dispensing, and an image acquisition/analysis module for monitoring worms and detecting toxicity endpoints in bright filed. These were collectively incorporated with a commercial pipetting workstation for automated food/drug delivery and a high-content analysis system for fluorescence detection. The integrated platform achieved an efficient on-demand worm dispensing, long-term maintenance, regular monitoring and imaging, survival assay and behavioral analyses, and visualized gene reporter assay. Moreover, "Lab on Web" was achieved by connecting the platform to the web for remote operation, worm monitoring, and phenotype calculation. To demonstrate the ability of the platform for automated toxicity testing assays; worms were treated with cadmium and longevity, neurotoxicity, developmental toxicity and gst-4 expression were evaluated. We determined its feasibility and proposed the potential application in high-throughput toxicity screening for environmental risk assessment in the nearest future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Wu
- School of Public Health, Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yue Gao
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jing Xi
- School of Public Health, Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xinyue You
- School of Public Health, Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xiaohong Zhang
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- School of Public Health, Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yiyi Cao
- School of Public Health, Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Peichuan Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiang Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Micro/Nano Fabrication, Department of Micro/Nano Electronics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Yang Luan
- School of Public Health, Hongqiao International Institute of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
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19
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Abstract
Over the past decade, organ-on-chip research has been one of the most prolific areas of the entire field of tissue engineering. The development of organ-on-chip models requires an integrated interdisciplinary approach merging technologies and concepts from several different disciplines, including microfabrication, microfluidics, biomaterials, stem cell science, pharma-/toxicology, and medicine. In this perspective, we follow the journey of an organ-on-chip through its many different stages, from (i) the initial idea/specific scientific question to (ii) the design/concept phase, (iii) the engineering (fabrication and materials, sensor/actuator integration) and (iv) biology considerations (cell sources, biomaterials/scaffold), (v) the cell injection and tissue assembly process, (vi) the assay development, and (vii) the functional validation, all the way to (viii) the final applications. By summarizing some of the key learnings and findings from a developer's perspective and identifying suitable introductory reviews, this perspective strives to provide a conceptual, stepwise guide for the holistic development of an organ-on-chip model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Rogal
- Department for Microphysiological Systems, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen 72074, Germany
| | - Katharina Schlünder
- Department for Microphysiological Systems, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen 72074, Germany.,NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen 72770, Germany
| | - Peter Loskill
- Department for Microphysiological Systems, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen 72074, Germany.,NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen 72770, Germany.,3R-Center for In vitro Models and Alternatives to Animal Testing, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen 72074, Germany
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20
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Cho J, Lee H, Rah W, Chang HJ, Yoon YS. From engineered heart tissue to cardiac organoid. Theranostics 2022; 12:2758-2772. [PMID: 35401829 PMCID: PMC8965483 DOI: 10.7150/thno.67661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) presented a new paradigm to employ hPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) in drug screening and disease modeling. However, hPSC-CMs differentiated in conventional two-dimensional systems are structurally and functionally immature. Moreover, these differentiation systems generate predominantly one type of cell. Since the heart includes not only CMs but other cell types, such monolayer cultures have limitations in simulating the native heart. Accordingly, three-dimensional (3D) cardiac tissues have been developed as a better platform by including various cardiac cell types and extracellular matrices. Two advances were made for 3D cardiac tissue generation. One type is engineered heart tissues (EHTs), which are constructed by 3D cell culture of cardiac cells using an engineering technology. This system provides a convenient real-time analysis of cardiac function, as well as a precise control of the input/output flow and mechanical/electrical stimulation. The other type is cardiac organoids, which are formed through self-organization of differentiating cardiac lineage cells from hPSCs. While mature cardiac organoids are more desirable, at present only primitive forms of organoids are available. In this review, we discuss various models of hEHTs and cardiac organoids emulating the human heart, focusing on their unique features, utility, and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeyeaon Cho
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyein Lee
- Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Woongchan Rah
- Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyuk Jae Chang
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Young-sup Yoon
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Karis Bio Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea
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21
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Chakrabarty S, Quiros-Solano WF, Kuijten MM, Haspels B, Mallya S, Lo CSY, Othman A, Silvestri C, van de Stolpe A, Gaio N, Odijk H, van de Ven M, de Ridder CM, van Weerden WM, Jonkers J, Dekker R, Taneja N, Kanaar R, van Gent DC. A Microfluidic Cancer-on-Chip Platform Predicts Drug Response Using Organotypic Tumor Slice Culture. Cancer Res 2022; 82:510-520. [PMID: 34872965 PMCID: PMC9397621 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-0799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Optimal treatment of cancer requires diagnostic methods to facilitate therapy choice and prevent ineffective treatments. Direct assessment of therapy response in viable tumor specimens could fill this diagnostic gap. Therefore, we designed a microfluidic platform for assessment of patient treatment response using tumor tissue slices under precisely controlled growth conditions. The optimized Cancer-on-Chip (CoC) platform maintained viability and sustained proliferation of breast and prostate tumor slices for 7 days. No major changes in tissue morphology or gene expression patterns were observed within this time frame, suggesting that the CoC system provides a reliable and effective way to probe intrinsic chemotherapeutic sensitivity of tumors. The customized CoC platform accurately predicted cisplatin and apalutamide treatment response in breast and prostate tumor xenograft models, respectively. The culture period for breast cancer could be extended up to 14 days without major changes in tissue morphology and viability. These culture characteristics enable assessment of treatment outcomes and open possibilities for detailed mechanistic studies. SIGNIFICANCE: The Cancer-on-Chip platform with a 6-well plate design incorporating silicon-based microfluidics can enable optimal patient-specific treatment strategies through parallel culture of multiple tumor slices and diagnostic assays using primary tumor material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjiban Chakrabarty
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - William F. Quiros-Solano
- Department of Microelectronics, Electronic Components, Technology and Materials, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.,BIOND Solutions B.V., Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Maayke M.P. Kuijten
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ben Haspels
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sandeep Mallya
- Department of Bioinformatics, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Calvin Shun Yu Lo
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Amr Othman
- BIOND Solutions B.V., Delft, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Hanny Odijk
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marieke van de Ven
- Preclinical Intervention Unit, Mouse Clinic for Cancer and Ageing, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Corrina M.A. de Ridder
- Department of Urology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Wytske M. van Weerden
- Department of Urology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jos Jonkers
- Preclinical Intervention Unit, Mouse Clinic for Cancer and Ageing, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ronald Dekker
- Department of Microelectronics, Electronic Components, Technology and Materials, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands.,Philips Research, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Nitika Taneja
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Roland Kanaar
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dik C. van Gent
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Corresponding Author: Dik C. van Gent, Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, Rotterdam 3015GD, the Netherlands. Phone: 31-10-7043932; E-mail:
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22
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Eslami Amirabadi H, Donkers JM, Wierenga E, Ingenhut B, Pieters L, Stevens L, Donkers T, Westerhout J, Masereeuw R, Bobeldijk-Pastorova I, Nooijen I, van de Steeg E. Intestinal explant barrier chip: long-term intestinal absorption screening in a novel microphysiological system using tissue explants. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:326-342. [PMID: 34877953 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00669j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The majority of intestinal in vitro screening models use cell lines that do not reflect the complexity of the human intestinal tract and hence often fail to accurately predict intestinal drug absorption. Tissue explants have intact intestinal architecture and cell type diversity, but show short viability in static conditions. Here, we present a medium throughput microphysiological system, Intestinal Explant Barrier Chip (IEBC), that creates a dynamic microfluidic microenvironment and prolongs tissue viability. Using a snap fit mechanism, we successfully incorporated human and porcine colon tissue explants and studied tissue functionality, integrity and viability for 24 hours. With a proper distinction of transcellular over paracellular transport (ratio >2), tissue functionality was good at early and late timepoints. Low leakage of FITC-dextran and preserved intracellular lactate dehydrogenase levels indicate maintained tissue integrity and viability, respectively. From a selection of low to high permeability drugs, 6 out of 7 properly ranked according to their fraction absorbed. In conclusion, the IEBC is a novel screening platform benefitting from the complexity of tissue explants and the flow in microfluidic chips.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Eslami Amirabadi
- Department of Metabolic Health Research, The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Zeist, The Netherlands.
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Joanne M Donkers
- Department of Metabolic Health Research, The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Zeist, The Netherlands.
| | - Esmée Wierenga
- Department of Metabolic Health Research, The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Zeist, The Netherlands.
| | - Bastiaan Ingenhut
- Materials solution department, TNO, and Brightlands Materials Centre, Geleen, The Netherlands
| | - Lisanne Pieters
- Department of Metabolic Health Research, The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Zeist, The Netherlands.
| | - Lianne Stevens
- Department of Metabolic Health Research, The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Zeist, The Netherlands.
- Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Tim Donkers
- Division of Space systems engineering, TNO, Delft, the Netherlands
| | | | - Rosalinde Masereeuw
- Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ivana Bobeldijk-Pastorova
- Department of Metabolic Health Research, The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Zeist, The Netherlands.
| | - Irene Nooijen
- Department of Metabolic Health Research, The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Zeist, The Netherlands.
| | - Evita van de Steeg
- Department of Metabolic Health Research, The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Zeist, The Netherlands.
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23
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Hargrove-Grimes P, Low LA, Tagle DA. Microphysiological Systems: Stakeholder Challenges to Adoption in Drug Development. Cells Tissues Organs 2022; 211:269-281. [PMID: 34380142 PMCID: PMC8831652 DOI: 10.1159/000517422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Microphysiological systems (MPS) or tissue chips/organs-on-chips are novel in vitro models that emulate human physiology at the most basic functional level. In this review, we discuss various hurdles to widespread adoption of MPS technology focusing on issues from multiple stakeholder sectors, e.g., academic MPS developers, commercial suppliers of platforms, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and regulatory organizations. Broad adoption of MPS technology has thus far been limited by a gap in translation between platform developers, end-users, regulatory agencies, and the pharmaceutical industry. In this brief review, we offer a perspective on the existing barriers and how end-users may help surmount these obstacles to achieve broader adoption of MPS technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Passley Hargrove-Grimes
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lucie A. Low
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Danilo A. Tagle
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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24
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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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25
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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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26
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Grant J, Özkan A, Oh C, Mahajan G, Prantil-Baun R, Ingber DE. Simulating drug concentrations in PDMS microfluidic organ chips. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:3509-3519. [PMID: 34346471 PMCID: PMC8440455 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00348h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic organ-on-a-chip (Organ Chip) cell culture devices are often fabricated using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) because it is biocompatible, transparent, elastomeric, and oxygen permeable; however, hydrophobic small molecules can absorb to PDMS, which makes it challenging to predict drug responses. Here, we describe a combined simulation and experimental approach to predict the spatial and temporal concentration profile of a drug under continuous dosing in a PDMS Organ Chip containing two parallel channels separated by a porous membrane that is lined with cultured cells, without prior knowledge of its log P value. First, a three-dimensional finite element model of drug loss into the chip was developed that incorporates absorption, adsorption, convection, and diffusion, which simulates changes in drug levels over time and space as a function of potential PDMS diffusion coefficients and log P values. By then experimentally measuring the diffusivity of the compound in PDMS and determining its partition coefficient through mass spectrometric analysis of the drug concentration in the channel outflow, it is possible to estimate the effective log P range of the compound. The diffusion and partition coefficients were experimentally derived for the antimalarial drug and potential SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic, amodiaquine, and incorporated into the model to quantitatively estimate the drug-specific concentration profile over time measured in human lung airway chips lined with bronchial epithelium interfaced with pulmonary microvascular endothelium. The same strategy can be applied to any device geometry, surface treatment, or in vitro microfluidic model to simulate the spatial and temporal gradient of a drug in 3D without prior knowledge of the partition coefficient or the rate of diffusion in PDMS. Thus, this approach may expand the use of PDMS Organ Chip devices for various forms of drug testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Grant
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Alican Özkan
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Crystal Oh
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Gautam Mahajan
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Rachelle Prantil-Baun
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Donald E Ingber
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Vascular Biology Program and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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27
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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: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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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28
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Kumar D, Baligar P, Srivastav R, Narad P, Raj S, Tandon C, Tandon S. Stem Cell Based Preclinical Drug Development and Toxicity Prediction. Curr Pharm Des 2021; 27:2237-2251. [PMID: 33076801 DOI: 10.2174/1381612826666201019104712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Stem cell based toxicity prediction plays a very important role in the development of the drug. Unexpected adverse effects of the drugs during clinical trials are a major reason for the termination or withdrawal of drugs. Methods for predicting toxicity employ in vitro as well as in vivo models; however, the major drawback seen in the data derived from these animal models is the lack of extrapolation, owing to interspecies variations. Due to these limitations, researchers have been striving to develop more robust drug screening platforms based on stem cells. The application of stem cells based toxicity testing has opened up robust methods to study the impact of new chemical entities on not only specific cell types, but also organs. Pluripotent stem cells, as well as cells derived from them, can be evaluated for modulation of cell function in response to drugs. Moreover, the combination of state-of-the -art techniques such as tissue engineering and microfluidics to fabricate organ- on-a-chip, has led to assays which are amenable to high throughput screening to understand the adverse and toxic effects of chemicals and drugs. This review summarizes the important aspects of the establishment of the embryonic stem cell test (EST), use of stem cells, pluripotent, induced pluripotent stem cells and organoids for toxicity prediction and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhruv Kumar
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine & Stem Cell Research, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201313, India
| | - Prakash Baligar
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine & Stem Cell Research, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201313, India
| | - Rajpal Srivastav
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201313, India
| | - Priyanka Narad
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201313, India
| | - Sibi Raj
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine & Stem Cell Research, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201313, India
| | - Chanderdeep Tandon
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201313, India
| | - Simran Tandon
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine & Stem Cell Research, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201313, India
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29
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Heinrich MA, Mostafa AMRH, Morton JP, Hawinkels LJAC, Prakash J. Translating complexity and heterogeneity of pancreatic tumor: 3D in vitro to in vivo models. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 174:265-293. [PMID: 33895214 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an extremely aggressive type of cancer with an overall survival rate of less than 7-8%, emphasizing the need for novel effective therapeutics against PDAC. However only a fraction of therapeutics which seemed promising in the laboratory environment will eventually reach the clinic. One of the main reasons behind this low success rate is the complex tumor microenvironment (TME) of PDAC, a highly fibrotic and dense stroma surrounding tumor cells, which supports tumor progression as well as increases the resistance against the treatment. In particular, the growing understanding of the PDAC TME points out a different challenge in the development of efficient therapeutics - a lack of biologically relevant in vitro and in vivo models that resemble the complexity and heterogeneity of PDAC observed in patients. The purpose and scope of this review is to provide an overview of the recent developments in different in vitro and in vivo models, which aim to recapitulate the complexity of PDAC in a laboratory environment, as well to describe how 3D in vitro models can be integrated into drug development pipelines that are already including sophisticated in vivo models. Hereby a special focus will be given on the complexity of in vivo models and the challenges in vitro models face to reach the same levels of complexity in a controllable manner. First, a brief introduction of novel developments in two dimensional (2D) models and ex vivo models is provided. Next, recent developments in three dimensional (3D) in vitro models are described ranging from spheroids, organoids, scaffold models, bioprinted models to organ-on-chip models including a discussion on advantages and limitations for each model. Furthermore, we will provide a detailed overview on the current PDAC in vivo models including chemically-induced models, syngeneic and xenogeneic models, highlighting hetero- and orthotopic, patient-derived tissues (PDX) models, and genetically engineered mouse models. Finally, we will provide a discussion on overall limitations of both, in vitro and in vivo models, and discuss necessary steps to overcome these limitations to reach an efficient drug development pipeline, as well as discuss possibilities to include novel in silico models in the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel A Heinrich
- Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, Section Targeted Therapeutics, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Ahmed M R H Mostafa
- Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, Section Targeted Therapeutics, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Jennifer P Morton
- Cancer Research UK, Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Rd, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK; Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Switchback Rd, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - Lukas J A C Hawinkels
- Department of Gastroenterology-Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO-box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jai Prakash
- Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, Section Targeted Therapeutics, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, 7500AE Enschede, the Netherlands.
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30
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Cystic Fibrosis Human Organs-on-a-Chip. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12070747. [PMID: 34202364 PMCID: PMC8305167 DOI: 10.3390/mi12070747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene: the gene product responsible for transporting chloride and bicarbonate ions through the apical membrane of most epithelial cells. Major clinical features of CF include respiratory failure, pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, and intestinal disease. Many CF animal models have been generated, but some models fail to fully capture the phenotypic manifestations of human CF disease. Other models that better capture the key characteristics of the human CF phenotype are cost prohibitive or require special care to maintain. Important differences have been reported between the pathophysiology seen in human CF patients and in animal models. These limitations present significant limitations to translational research. This review outlines the study of CF using patient-derived organs-on-a-chip to overcome some of these limitations. Recently developed microfluidic-based organs-on-a-chip provide a human experimental model that allows researchers to manipulate environmental factors and mimic in vivo conditions. These chips may be scaled to support pharmaceutical studies and may also be used to study organ systems and human disease. The use of these chips in CF discovery science enables researchers to avoid the barriers inherent in animal models and promote the advancement of personalized medicine.
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31
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Murray BO, Flores C, Williams C, Flusberg DA, Marr EE, Kwiatkowska KM, Charest JL, Isenberg BC, Rohn JL. Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection: A Mystery in Search of Better Model Systems. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:691210. [PMID: 34123879 PMCID: PMC8188986 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.691210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infectious diseases worldwide but are significantly understudied. Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) accounts for a significant proportion of UTI, but a large number of other species can infect the urinary tract, each of which will have unique host-pathogen interactions with the bladder environment. Given the substantial economic burden of UTI and its increasing antibiotic resistance, there is an urgent need to better understand UTI pathophysiology - especially its tendency to relapse and recur. Most models developed to date use murine infection; few human-relevant models exist. Of these, the majority of in vitro UTI models have utilized cells in static culture, but UTI needs to be studied in the context of the unique aspects of the bladder's biophysical environment (e.g., tissue architecture, urine, fluid flow, and stretch). In this review, we summarize the complexities of recurrent UTI, critically assess current infection models and discuss potential improvements. More advanced human cell-based in vitro models have the potential to enable a better understanding of the etiology of UTI disease and to provide a complementary platform alongside animals for drug screening and the search for better treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin O. Murray
- Centre for Urological Biology, Department of Renal Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carlos Flores
- Centre for Urological Biology, Department of Renal Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Corin Williams
- Department of Bioengineering, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Deborah A. Flusberg
- Department of Bioengineering, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Elizabeth E. Marr
- Department of Bioengineering, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Karolina M. Kwiatkowska
- Centre for Urological Biology, Department of Renal Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph L. Charest
- Department of Bioengineering, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Brett C. Isenberg
- Department of Bioengineering, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Jennifer L. Rohn
- Centre for Urological Biology, Department of Renal Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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32
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Elvira KS. Microfluidic technologies for drug discovery and development: friend or foe? Trends Pharmacol Sci 2021; 42:518-526. [PMID: 33994176 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
There is a point in the evolution of every new technology when questions need to be asked regarding its usefulness and impact. Although microfluidic technologies have drastically decreased the scales at which laboratory processes can be performed and have enabled scientific advances that would have otherwise not been possible, it is time to consider whether these technologies are more disruptive than enabling. Here, my aims are to introduce researchers in the broad fields of drug discovery and development to the advantages and disadvantages of microfluidic technologies, to highlight current work showing how microfluidic technologies can be used at different stages in the drug discovery and development process, to discuss how we can transfer academic breakthroughs in the field of microfluidic technologies to industrial environments, and to examine whether microfluidic technologies have the potential to cause a fundamental paradigm shift in the way that drug discovery and development occurs.
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33
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Lee-Montiel FT, Laemmle A, Charwat V, Dumont L, Lee CS, Huebsch N, Okochi H, Hancock MJ, Siemons B, Boggess SC, Goswami I, Miller EW, Willenbring H, Healy KE. Integrated Isogenic Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Liver and Heart Microphysiological Systems Predict Unsafe Drug-Drug Interaction. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:667010. [PMID: 34025426 PMCID: PMC8138446 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.667010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) microphysiological systems (MPSs) mimicking human organ function in vitro are an emerging alternative to conventional monolayer cell culture and animal models for drug development. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have the potential to capture the diversity of human genetics and provide an unlimited supply of cells. Combining hiPSCs with microfluidics technology in MPSs offers new perspectives for drug development. Here, the integration of a newly developed liver MPS with a cardiac MPS—both created with the same hiPSC line—to study drug–drug interaction (DDI) is reported. As a prominent example of clinically relevant DDI, the interaction of the arrhythmogenic gastroprokinetic cisapride with the fungicide ketoconazole was investigated. As seen in patients, metabolic conversion of cisapride to non-arrhythmogenic norcisapride in the liver MPS by the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP3A4 was inhibited by ketoconazole, leading to arrhythmia in the cardiac MPS. These results establish integration of hiPSC-based liver and cardiac MPSs to facilitate screening for DDI, and thus drug efficacy and toxicity, isogenic in the same genetic background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe T Lee-Montiel
- Departments of Bioengineering, and Materials Science & Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Alexander Laemmle
- Department of Surgery, Division of Transplant Surgery, Liver Center and Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.,Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Department of Pediatrics, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Verena Charwat
- Departments of Bioengineering, and Materials Science & Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Laure Dumont
- Department of Surgery, Division of Transplant Surgery, Liver Center and Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Caleb S Lee
- Departments of Bioengineering, and Materials Science & Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Nathaniel Huebsch
- Departments of Bioengineering, and Materials Science & Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Hideaki Okochi
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | | | - Brian Siemons
- Departments of Bioengineering, and Materials Science & Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Steven C Boggess
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Ishan Goswami
- Departments of Bioengineering, and Materials Science & Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Evan W Miller
- Departments of Chemistry and Molecular & Cell Biology, and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Holger Willenbring
- Department of Surgery, Division of Transplant Surgery, Liver Center and Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Kevin E Healy
- Departments of Bioengineering, and Materials Science & Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
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34
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Hargrove-Grimes P, Low LA, Tagle DA. Microphysiological systems: What it takes for community adoption. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2021; 246:1435-1446. [PMID: 33899539 DOI: 10.1177/15353702211008872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Microphysiological systems (MPS) are promising in vitro tools which could substantially improve the drug development process, particularly for underserved patient populations such as those with rare diseases, neural disorders, and diseases impacting pediatric populations. Currently, one of the major goals of the National Institutes of Health MPS program, led by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), is to demonstrate the utility of this emerging technology and help support the path to community adoption. However, community adoption of MPS technology has been hindered by a variety of factors including biological and technological challenges in device creation, issues with validation and standardization of MPS technology, and potential complications related to commercialization. In this brief Minireview, we offer an NCATS perspective on what current barriers exist to MPS adoption and provide an outlook on the future path to adoption of these in vitro tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Passley Hargrove-Grimes
- 390834National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Lucie A Low
- 390834National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Danilo A Tagle
- 390834National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Tissue Chips and Microphysiological Systems for Disease Modeling and Drug Testing. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12020139. [PMID: 33525451 PMCID: PMC7911320 DOI: 10.3390/mi12020139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Tissue chips (TCs) and microphysiological systems (MPSs) that incorporate human cells are novel platforms to model disease and screen drugs and provide an alternative to traditional animal studies. This review highlights the basic definitions of TCs and MPSs, examines four major organs/tissues, identifies critical parameters for organization and function (tissue organization, blood flow, and physical stresses), reviews current microfluidic approaches to recreate tissues, and discusses current shortcomings and future directions for the development and application of these technologies. The organs emphasized are those involved in the metabolism or excretion of drugs (hepatic and renal systems) and organs sensitive to drug toxicity (cardiovascular system). This article examines the microfluidic/microfabrication approaches for each organ individually and identifies specific examples of TCs. This review will provide an excellent starting point for understanding, designing, and constructing novel TCs for possible integration within MPS.
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Marrella A, Fedi A, Varani G, Vaccari I, Fato M, Firpo G, Guida P, Aceto N, Scaglione S. High blood flow shear stress values are associated with circulating tumor cells cluster disaggregation in a multi-channel microfluidic device. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245536. [PMID: 33444361 PMCID: PMC7808575 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis represents a dynamic succession of events involving tumor cells which disseminate through the organism via the bloodstream. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can flow the bloodstream as single cells or as multicellular aggregates (clusters), which present a different potential to metastasize. The effects of the bloodstream-related physical constraints, such as hemodynamic wall shear stress (WSS), on CTC clusters are still unclear. Therefore, we developed, upon theoretical and CFD modeling, a new multichannel microfluidic device able to simultaneously reproduce different WSS characterizing the human circulatory system, where to analyze the correlation between SS and CTC clusters behavior. Three physiological WSS levels (i.e. 2, 5, 20 dyn/cm2) were generated, reproducing values typical of capillaries, veins and arteries. As first validation, triple-negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) were injected as single CTCs showing that higher values of WSS are correlated with a decreased viability. Next, the SS-mediated disaggregation of CTC clusters was computationally investigated in a vessels-mimicking domain. Finally, CTC clusters were injected within the three different circuits and subjected to the three different WSS, revealing that increasing WSS levels are associated with a raising clusters disaggregation after 6 hours of circulation. These results suggest that our device may represent a valid in vitro tool to carry out systematic studies on the biological significance of blood flow mechanical forces and eventually to promote new strategies for anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Marrella
- National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Electronic, Computer and Telecommunications (IEIIT), Genoa, Italy
| | - Arianna Fedi
- National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Electronic, Computer and Telecommunications (IEIIT), Genoa, Italy
- Department of Computer Science, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Varani
- National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Electronic, Computer and Telecommunications (IEIIT), Genoa, Italy
| | - Ivan Vaccari
- National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Electronic, Computer and Telecommunications (IEIIT), Genoa, Italy
| | - Marco Fato
- Department of Computer Science, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Firpo
- Department of Physics, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Patrizia Guida
- Department of Physics, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Nicola Aceto
- Department of Biomedicine, Cancer Metastasis Laboratory, University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Scaglione
- National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Electronic, Computer and Telecommunications (IEIIT), Genoa, Italy
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37
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Horowitz LF, Rodriguez AD, Au-Yeung A, Bishop KW, Barner LA, Mishra G, Raman A, Delgado P, Liu JTC, Gujral TS, Mehrabi M, Yang M, Pierce RH, Folch A. Microdissected "cuboids" for microfluidic drug testing of intact tissues. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:122-142. [PMID: 33174580 PMCID: PMC8205430 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00801j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
As preclinical animal tests often do not accurately predict drug effects later observed in humans, most drugs under development fail to reach the market. Thus there is a critical need for functional drug testing platforms that use human, intact tissues to complement animal studies. To enable future multiplexed delivery of many drugs to one small biopsy, we have developed a multi-well microfluidic platform that selectively treats cuboidal-shaped microdissected tissues or "cuboids" with well-preserved tissue microenvironments. We create large numbers of uniformly-sized cuboids by semi-automated sectioning of tissue with a commercially available tissue chopper. Here we demonstrate the microdissection method on normal mouse liver, which we characterize with quantitative 3D imaging, and on human glioma xenograft tumors, which we evaluate after time in culture for viability and preservation of the microenvironment. The benefits of size uniformity include lower heterogeneity in future biological assays as well as facilitation of their physical manipulation by automation. Our prototype platform consists of a microfluidic circuit whose hydrodynamic traps immobilize the live cuboids in arrays at the bottom of a multi-well plate. Fluid dynamics simulations enabled the rapid evaluation of design alternatives and operational parameters. We demonstrate the proof-of-concept application of model soluble compounds such as dyes (CellTracker, Hoechst) and the cancer drug cisplatin. Upscaling of the microfluidic platform and microdissection method to larger arrays and numbers of cuboids could lead to direct testing of human tissues at high throughput, and thus could have a significant impact on drug discovery and personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa F Horowitz
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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38
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Klein AK, Dietzel A. Microfluidic Systems for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 179:291-309. [PMID: 33851232 DOI: 10.1007/10_2021_164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Human health is threatened by the spread of antimicrobial resistance and resulting infections. One reason for the resistance spread is the treatment with inappropriate and ineffective antibiotics because standard antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods are time-consuming and laborious. To reduce the antimicrobial susceptibility detection time, minimize treatments with empirical broad-spectrum antibiotics, and thereby combat the further spread of antimicrobial resistance, faster and point-of-care methods are needed. This requires many different research approaches. Microfluidic systems for antimicrobial susceptibility testing offer the possibility to reduce the detection time, as small sample and reagent volumes can be used and the detection of single cells is possible. In some cases, the aim is to use human samples without pretreatment or pre-cultivation. This chapter first provides an overview of conventional detection methods. It then presents the potential of and various current approaches in microfluidics. The focus is on microfluidic methods for phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Kathrin Klein
- Institute of Microtechnology Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Andreas Dietzel
- Institute of Microtechnology Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
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Sutterby E, Thurgood P, Baratchi S, Khoshmanesh K, Pirogova E. Microfluidic Skin-on-a-Chip Models: Toward Biomimetic Artificial Skin. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2002515. [PMID: 33460277 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202002515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The role of skin in the human body is indispensable, serving as a barrier, moderating homeostatic balance, and representing a pronounced endpoint for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Despite the extensive achievements of in vitro skin models, they do not recapitulate the complexity of human skin; thus, there remains a dependence on animal models during preclinical drug trials, resulting in expensive drug development with high failure rates. By imparting a fine control over the microenvironment and inducing relevant mechanical cues, skin-on-a-chip (SoC) models have circumvented the limitations of conventional cell studies. Enhanced barrier properties, vascularization, and improved phenotypic differentiation have been achieved by SoC models; however, the successful inclusion of appendages such as hair follicles and sweat glands and pigmentation relevance have yet to be realized. The present Review collates the progress of SoC platforms with a focus on their fabrication and the incorporation of mechanical cues, sensors, and blood vessels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Sutterby
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia
| | - Peter Thurgood
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia
| | - Sara Baratchi
- School of Health and Medical Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | | | - Elena Pirogova
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia
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40
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Campbell SB, Wu Q, Yazbeck J, Liu C, Okhovatian S, Radisic M. Beyond Polydimethylsiloxane: Alternative Materials for Fabrication of Organ-on-a-Chip Devices and Microphysiological Systems. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2020; 7:2880-2899. [PMID: 34275293 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c00640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is the predominant material used for organ-on-a-chip devices and microphysiological systems (MPSs) due to its ease-of-use, elasticity, optical transparency, and inexpensive microfabrication. However, the absorption of small hydrophobic molecules by PDMS and the limited capacity for high-throughput manufacturing of PDMS-laden devices severely limit the application of these systems in personalized medicine, drug discovery, in vitro pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeling, and the investigation of cellular responses to drugs. Consequently, the relatively young field of organ-on-a-chip devices and MPSs is gradually beginning to make the transition to alternative, nonabsorptive materials for these crucial applications. This review examines some of the first steps that have been made in the development of organ-on-a-chip devices and MPSs composed of such alternative materials, including elastomers, hydrogels, thermoplastic polymers, and inorganic materials. It also provides an outlook on where PDMS-alternative devices are trending and the obstacles that must be overcome in the development of versatile devices based on alternative materials to PDMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott B Campbell
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Qinghua Wu
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Joshua Yazbeck
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Chuan Liu
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Sargol Okhovatian
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Milica Radisic
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada.,Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada.,Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4, Canada
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41
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Sánchez A, Mejía SP, Orozco J. Recent Advances in Polymeric Nanoparticle-Encapsulated Drugs against Intracellular Infections. Molecules 2020; 25:E3760. [PMID: 32824757 PMCID: PMC7464666 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25163760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymeric nanocarriers (PNs) have demonstrated to be a promising alternative to treat intracellular infections. They have outstanding performance in delivering antimicrobials intracellularly to reach an adequate dose level and improve their therapeutic efficacy. PNs offer opportunities for preventing unwanted drug interactions and degradation before reaching the target cell of tissue and thus decreasing the development of resistance in microorganisms. The use of PNs has the potential to reduce the dose and adverse side effects, providing better efficiency and effectiveness of therapeutic regimens, especially in drugs having high toxicity, low solubility in the physiological environment and low bioavailability. This review provides an overview of nanoparticles made of different polymeric precursors and the main methodologies to nanofabricate platforms of tuned physicochemical and morphological properties and surface chemistry for controlled release of antimicrobials in the target. It highlights the versatility of these nanosystems and their challenges and opportunities to deliver antimicrobial drugs to treat intracellular infections and mentions nanotoxicology aspects and future outlooks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Sánchez
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Nanobioengineering, University of Antioquia, Complejo Ruta N, Calle 67 Nº 52-20, Medellín 050010, Colombia; (A.S.); (S.P.M.)
| | - Susana P. Mejía
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Nanobioengineering, University of Antioquia, Complejo Ruta N, Calle 67 Nº 52-20, Medellín 050010, Colombia; (A.S.); (S.P.M.)
- Experimental and Medical Micology Group, Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Carrera, 72A Nº 78B–141 Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - Jahir Orozco
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Nanobioengineering, University of Antioquia, Complejo Ruta N, Calle 67 Nº 52-20, Medellín 050010, Colombia; (A.S.); (S.P.M.)
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Portillo‐Esquivel LE, Nanduri V, Zhang F, Liang W, Zhang B. z-Wire: A Microscaffold That Supports Guided Tissue Assembly and Intramyocardium Delivery for Cardiac Repair. Adv Healthc Mater 2020; 9:e2000358. [PMID: 32543115 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202000358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Tissue engineering holds promise to replace damaged tissues for repair of vital organs in the human body. In cardiac repairs specifically, approaches are developed for intramyocardial delivery of cells and the epicardial delivery of tissue-engineered cardiac patches, providing benefit of cell localization and tissue structure, respectively. However, to improve cell retention and integration, there is a need for the intramyocardial delivery of functional tissues while preserving anisotropic muscle alignment. Here, a biodegradable z-wire scaffold that supports the scalable gel-free production of an array of functional cardiac tissues in a 384-well plate format is developed. The z-wire scaffold design supports cellular alignment, provides tunable mechanical support, and allows for tissue contraction. When the scaffold is imparted with magnetic properties, individual tissues can be assembled with macroscopic alignment under magnetic guidance. When used in combination with a customized surgical delivery tool, z-wire tissues can be injected directly into the myocardial wall, with controlled tissue orientation according to the injection path. This modular tissue engineering approach, in combination with the use of smart scaffolds, can expand opportunity in functional tissue delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vibudha Nanduri
- Department of Chemical EngineeringMcMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton ON L8S 4L8 Canada
| | - Feng Zhang
- School of Biomedical EngineeringMcMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton ON L8S 4L8 Canada
| | - Wenbin Liang
- University of Ottawa Heart InstituteDepartment of Cellular and Molecular MedicineUniversity of Ottawa 40 Ruskin Street Ottawa ON K1Y 4W7 Canada
| | - Boyang Zhang
- Department of Chemical EngineeringMcMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton ON L8S 4L8 Canada
- School of Biomedical EngineeringMcMaster University 1280 Main Street West Hamilton ON L8S 4L8 Canada
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43
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Hosic S, Bindas AJ, Puzan ML, Lake W, Soucy JR, Zhou F, Koppes RA, Breault DT, Murthy SK, Koppes AN. Rapid Prototyping of Multilayer Microphysiological Systems. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2020; 7:2949-2963. [PMID: 34275297 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidic organs-on-chips aim to realize more biorelevant in vitro experiments compared to traditional two-dimensional (2D) static cell culture. Often such devices are fabricated via poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) soft lithography, which offers benefits (e.g., high feature resolution) along with drawbacks (e.g., prototyping time/costs). Here, we report benchtop fabrication of multilayer, PDMS-free, thermoplastic organs-on-chips via laser cut and assembly with double-sided adhesives that overcome some limitations of traditional PDMS lithography. Cut and assembled chips are economical to prototype ($2 per chip), can be fabricated in parallel within hours, and are Luer compatible. Biocompatibility was demonstrated with epithelial line Caco-2 cells and primary human small intestinal organoids. Comparable to control static Transwell cultures, Caco-2 and organoids cultured on chips formed confluent monolayers expressing tight junctions with low permeability. Caco-2 cells-on-chip differentiated ∼4 times faster, including increased mucus, compared to controls. To demonstrate the robustness of cut and assemble, we fabricated a dual membrane, trilayer chip integrating 2D and 3D compartments with accessible apical and basolateral flow chambers. As proof of concept, we cocultured a human, differentiated monolayer and intact 3D organoids within multilayered contacting compartments. The epithelium exhibited 3D tissue structure and organoids expanded close to the adjacent monolayer, retaining proliferative stem cells over 10 days. Taken together, cut and assemble offers the capability to rapidly and economically manufacture microfluidic devices, thereby presenting a compelling fabrication technique for developing organs-on-chips of various geometries to study multicellular tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjin Hosic
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., 313 Snell Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Adam J Bindas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., 313 Snell Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Marissa L Puzan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., 313 Snell Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Will Lake
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., 313 Snell Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jonathan R Soucy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., 313 Snell Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Fanny Zhou
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Ryan A Koppes
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., 313 Snell Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - David T Breault
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.,Principal Faculty, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, 7 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Shashi K Murthy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., 313 Snell Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Abigail N Koppes
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., 313 Snell Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.,Department of Biology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., 313 Snell Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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44
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Weng KC, Kurokawa YK, Hajek BS, Paladin JA, Shirure VS, George SC. Human Induced Pluripotent Stem-Cardiac-Endothelial-Tumor-on-a-Chip to Assess Anticancer Efficacy and Cardiotoxicity. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 2020; 26:44-55. [PMID: 31797733 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tec.2019.0248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading health threat in the United States, and cardiovascular drug toxicity is a primary cause to eliminate a drug from FDA approval. As a result, the demand to develop new anticancer drugs without cardiovascular toxicity is high. Human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived tissue chips provide potentially a cost-effective preclinical drug testing platform, including potential avenues for personalized medicine. We have developed a three-dimensional microfluidic device that simultaneously cultures tumor cell spheroids with iPS-derived cardiomyocytes (iPS-CMs) and iPS-derived endothelial cells (iPS-EC). The iPS-derived cells include a GCaMP6 fluorescence reporter to allow real-time imaging to monitor intracellular calcium transients. The multiple-chambered tissue chip features electrodes for pacing of the cardiac tissue to assess cardiomyocyte function such as the maximum capture rate and conduction velocity. We measured the inhibition concentration (IC50) of the anticancer drugs, Doxorubicin (0.1 μM) and Oxaliplatin (4.2 μM), on the tissue chip loaded with colon cancer cells (SW620). We simultaneously evaluated the cardiotoxicity of these anticancer drugs by assessing the drug effect on the spontaneous beat frequency and conduction velocity of iPS-derived cardiac tissue. Consistent with in vivo observations, Doxorubicin reduced the spontaneous beating rate and maximum capture rate at or near the IC50 (0.04 and 0.22 μM, respectively), whereas the toxicity of Oxaliplatin was only observed at concentrations beyond the IC50 (33 and 9.9 μM, respectively). Our platform demonstrates the feasibility to simultaneously assess cardiac toxicity and antitumor effects of drugs and could be used to enhance personalized drug testing safety and efficacy. Impact statement Drug development using murine models for preclinical testing is no longer adequate nor acceptable both financially for the pharmaceutical industry as well as for generalized or personalized assessment of safety and efficacy. Innovative solutions using human cells and tissues provide exciting new opportunities. In this study, we report on the creation of a 3D microfluidic device that simultaneously cultures human tumor cell spheroids with cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells derived from the same induced pluripotent stem cell line. The platform provides the opportunity to assess efficacy of anticancer agents while simultaneously screening for potential cardiovascular toxicity in a format conducive for personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuo-Chan Weng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Yosuke K Kurokawa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Brianna S Hajek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Jack A Paladin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Venktesh S Shirure
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Steven C George
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
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45
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Alassaf A, Tansik G, Mayo V, Wubker L, Carbonero D, Agarwal A. Engineering anisotropic cardiac monolayers on microelectrode arrays for non-invasive analyses of electrophysiological properties. Analyst 2020; 145:139-149. [DOI: 10.1039/c9an01339c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Engineering cardiac tissues with physiological architectural and mechanical properties on microelectrode arrays enables long term culture and non-invasive collection of electrophysiological readouts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Alassaf
- Department of Biomedical Engineering
- University of Miami
- Coral Gables
- USA
- Department of Medical Equipment Technology
| | - Gulistan Tansik
- Department of Biomedical Engineering
- University of Miami
- Coral Gables
- USA
| | - Vera Mayo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering
- University of Miami
- Coral Gables
- USA
| | - Laura Wubker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering
- University of Miami
- Coral Gables
- USA
| | - Daniel Carbonero
- Department of Biomedical Engineering
- University of Miami
- Coral Gables
- USA
| | - Ashutosh Agarwal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering
- University of Miami
- Coral Gables
- USA
- Dr. John T Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute at the University of Miami
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46
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Low LA, Sutherland M, Lumelsky N, Selimovic S, Lundberg MS, Tagle DA. Organs-on-a-Chip. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1230:27-42. [PMID: 32285363 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-36588-2_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Organs-on-chips, also known as "tissue chips" or microphysiological systems (MPS), are bioengineered microsystems capable of recreating aspects of human organ physiology and function and are in vitro tools with multiple applications in drug discovery and development. The ability to recapitulate human and animal tissues in physiologically relevant three-dimensional, multi-cellular environments allows applications in the drug development field, including; (1) use in assessing the safety and toxicity testing of potential therapeutics during early-stage preclinical drug development; (2) confirmation of drug/therapeutic efficacy in vitro; and (3) disease modeling of human tissues to recapitulate pathophysiology within specific subpopulations and even individuals, thereby advancing precision medicine efforts. This chapter will discuss the development and evolution of three-dimensional organ models over the past decade, and some of the opportunities offered by MPS technology that are not available through current standard two-dimensional cell cultures, or three-dimensional organoid systems. This chapter will outline future avenues of research in the MPS field, how cutting-edge biotechnology advances are expanding the applications for these systems, and discuss the current and future potential and challenges remaining for the field to address.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie A Low
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Margaret Sutherland
- National Institute for Neurological Disorder and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nadya Lumelsky
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Seila Selimovic
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Martha S Lundberg
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Danilo A Tagle
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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47
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Horowitz LF, Rodriguez AD, Ray T, Folch A. Microfluidics for interrogating live intact tissues. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2020; 6:69. [PMID: 32879734 PMCID: PMC7443437 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-020-0164-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The intricate microarchitecture of tissues - the "tissue microenvironment" - is a strong determinant of tissue function. Microfluidics offers an invaluable tool to precisely stimulate, manipulate, and analyze the tissue microenvironment in live tissues and engineer mass transport around and into small tissue volumes. Such control is critical in clinical studies, especially where tissue samples are scarce, in analytical sensors, where testing smaller amounts of analytes results in faster, more portable sensors, and in biological experiments, where accurate control of the cellular microenvironment is needed. Microfluidics also provides inexpensive multiplexing strategies to address the pressing need to test large quantities of drugs and reagents on a single biopsy specimen, increasing testing accuracy, relevance, and speed while reducing overall diagnostic cost. Here, we review the use of microfluidics to study the physiology and pathophysiology of intact live tissues at sub-millimeter scales. We categorize uses as either in vitro studies - where a piece of an organism must be excised and introduced into the microfluidic device - or in vivo studies - where whole organisms are small enough to be introduced into microchannels or where a microfluidic device is interfaced with a live tissue surface (e.g. the skin or inside an internal organ or tumor) that forms part of an animal larger than the device. These microfluidic systems promise to deliver functional measurements obtained directly on intact tissue - such as the response of tissue to drugs or the analysis of tissue secretions - that cannot be obtained otherwise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa F. Horowitz
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Adán D. Rodriguez
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Tyler Ray
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA
| | - Albert Folch
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
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Zucchelli E, Majid QA, Foldes G. New artery of knowledge: 3D models of angiogenesis. VASCULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 1:H135-H143. [PMID: 32923965 PMCID: PMC7439835 DOI: 10.1530/vb-19-0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Angiogenesis and vasculogenesis are complex processes by which new blood vessels are formed and expanded. They play a pivotal role not only in physiological development and growth and tissue and organ repair, but also in a range of pathological conditions, from tumour formation to chronic inflammation and atherosclerosis. Understanding the multistep cell-differentiation programmes and identifying the key molecular players of physiological angiogenesis/vasculogenesis are critical to tackle pathological mechanisms. While many questions are yet to be answered, increasingly sophisticated in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo models of angiogenesis/vasculogenesis, together with cutting-edge imaging techniques, allowed for recent major advances in the field. This review aims to summarise the three-dimensional models available to study vascular network formation and to discuss advantages and limitations of the current systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qasim A Majid
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Gabor Foldes
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.,Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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Ni BS, Tzao C, Huang JH. Plug-and-Play In Vitro Metastasis System toward Recapitulating the Metastatic Cascade. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18110. [PMID: 31792319 PMCID: PMC6889311 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54711-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Microfluidic-based tumor models that mimic tumor culture environment have been developed to understand the cancer metastasis mechanism and discover effective antimetastatic drugs. These models successfully recapitulated key steps of metastatic cascades, yet still limited to few metastatic steps, operation difficulty, and small molecule absorption. In this study, we developed a metastasis system made of biocompatible and drug resistance plastics to recapitulate each metastasis stage in three-dimensional (3D) mono- and co-cultures formats, enabling the investigation of the metastatic responses of cancer cells (A549-GFP). The plug-and-play feature enhances the efficiency of the experimental setup and avoids initial culture failures. The results demonstrate that cancer cells tended to proliferate and migrate with circulating flow and intravasated across the porous membrane after a period of 3 d when they were treated with transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) or co-cultured with human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs). The cells were also observed to detach and migrate into the circulating flow after a period of 20 d, indicating that they transformed into circulating tumor cells for the next metastasis stage. We envision this metastasis system can provide novel insights that would aid in fully understanding the entire mechanism of tumor invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing-Syuan Ni
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan
| | - Ching Tzao
- Kuang Tien General Hospital, Taichung, 43303, Taiwan
| | - Jen-Huang Huang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan.
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Nguyen T, Jung SH, Lee MS, Park TE, Ahn SK, Kang JH. Robust chemical bonding of PMMA microfluidic devices to porous PETE membranes for reliable cytotoxicity testing of drugs. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:3706-3713. [PMID: 31577312 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00338j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Here, we report a simple yet reliable method for bonding poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) track-etched membranes using (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GLYMO), which enables reliable cytotoxicity tests in a microfluidic device impermeable to small molecules, such as anti-cancer drugs. The porous PETE membranes treated with 5% GLYMO were assembled with microfluidic channel-engraved PMMA substrates after air plasma treatment for 1 minute, followed by heating at 100 °C for 2 minutes, which permits irreversible and complete bonding to be achieved within 1 h. The bonding strength between the two substrates (1.97 × 107 kg m-2) was robust enough to flow culture medium through the device without leakage even at a gauge pressure of above 135 kPa. For validation of its utility in drugs testing, we successfully demonstrated that human lung adenocarcinoma cells cultured in the PMMA devices show more reliable cytotoxicity results for vincristine in comparison to conventional polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) devices due to the inherent property of PMMA of it being impervious to small molecules. Given that the current organ-on-a-chip fabrication methods mostly rely on PDMS, this bonding strategy will expand simple fabrication capability using various thermoplastics and porous track-etched membranes, and allow us to create 3D-micro-constructs that more precisely mimic organ-level physiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thao Nguyen
- Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, Republic of Korea 44919.
| | - Su Hyun Jung
- Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, Republic of Korea 44919.
| | - Min Seok Lee
- Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, Republic of Korea 44919.
| | - Tae-Eun Park
- Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, Republic of Korea 44919.
| | - Suk-Kyun Ahn
- Dept. of Polymer Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea 46241.
| | - Joo H Kang
- Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, Republic of Korea 44919.
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