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Li W, Zhou Z, Zhou X, Khoo BL, Gunawan R, Chin YR, Zhang L, Yi C, Guan X, Yang M. 3D Biomimetic Models to Reconstitute Tumor Microenvironment In Vitro: Spheroids, Organoids, and Tumor-on-a-Chip. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2202609. [PMID: 36917657 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202202609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Decades of efforts in engineering in vitro cancer models have advanced drug discovery and the insight into cancer biology. However, the establishment of preclinical models that enable fully recapitulating the tumor microenvironment remains challenging owing to its intrinsic complexity. Recent progress in engineering techniques has allowed the development of a new generation of in vitro preclinical models that can recreate complex in vivo tumor microenvironments and accurately predict drug responses, including spheroids, organoids, and tumor-on-a-chip. These biomimetic 3D tumor models are of particular interest as they pave the way for better understanding of cancer biology and accelerating the development of new anticancer therapeutics with reducing animal use. Here, the recent advances in developing these in vitro platforms for cancer modeling and preclinical drug screening, focusing on incorporating hydrogels are reviewed to reconstitute physiologically relevant microenvironments. The combination of spheroids/organoids with microfluidic technologies is also highlighted to better mimic in vivo tumors and discuss the challenges and future directions in the clinical translation of such models for drug screening and personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiu Li
- Department of Precision Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Futian Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tung Biomedical Sciences Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, 999077, China
| | - Zhihang Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tung Biomedical Sciences Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, 999077, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhou
- Department of Precision Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Futian Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tung Biomedical Sciences Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, 999077, China
| | - Bee Luan Khoo
- Department of Precision Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Futian Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Renardi Gunawan
- Department of Precision Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Futian Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tung Biomedical Sciences Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, 999077, China
| | - Y Rebecca Chin
- Department of Precision Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Futian Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tung Biomedical Sciences Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, 999077, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Department of Precision Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Futian Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tung Biomedical Sciences Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, 999077, China
| | - Changqing Yi
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Center of Advanced and Portable Medical Devices, School of Biomedical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 518107, China
| | - Xinyuan Guan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, State Key Laboratory for Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, 999077, China
| | - Mengsu Yang
- Department of Precision Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Futian Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tung Biomedical Sciences Centre, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, 999077, China
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Peng B, Hao S, Tong Z, Bai H, Pan S, Lim KL, Li L, Voelcker NH, Huang W. Blood-brain barrier (BBB)-on-a-chip: a promising breakthrough in brain disease research. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:3579-3602. [PMID: 36004771 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00305h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) represents a key challenge in developing brain-penetrating therapeutic molecules. BBB dysfunction is also associated with the onset and progression of various brain diseases. The BBB-on-a-chip (μBBB), an organ-on-chip technology, has emerged as a powerful in vitro platform that closely mimics the human BBB microenvironments. While the μBBB technology has seen wide application in the study of brain cancer, its utility in other brain disease models ("μBBB+") is less appreciated. Based on the advances of the μBBB technology and the evolution of in vitro models for brain diseases over the last decade, we propose the concept of a "μBBB+" system and summarize its major promising applications in pathological studies, personalized medical research, drug development, and multi-organ-on-chip approaches. We believe that such a sophisticated "μBBB+" system is a highly tunable and promising in vitro platform for further advancement of the understanding of brain diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Peng
- Frontiers Science Center for Flexible Electronics, Xi'an Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE) and Xi'an Institute of Biomedical Materials & Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
| | - Shiping Hao
- Frontiers Science Center for Flexible Electronics, Xi'an Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE) and Xi'an Institute of Biomedical Materials & Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.
| | - Ziqiu Tong
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
| | - Hua Bai
- Frontiers Science Center for Flexible Electronics, Xi'an Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE) and Xi'an Institute of Biomedical Materials & Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.
| | - Sijun Pan
- The Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE, Future Technologies), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China
| | - Kah-Leong Lim
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 11 Mandalay Road, 308232, Singapore
| | - Lin Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Flexible Electronics, Xi'an Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE) and Xi'an Institute of Biomedical Materials & Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), Nanjing 211800, China
- The Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE, Future Technologies), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China
| | - Nicolas H Voelcker
- Frontiers Science Center for Flexible Electronics, Xi'an Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE) and Xi'an Institute of Biomedical Materials & Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
| | - Wei Huang
- Frontiers Science Center for Flexible Electronics, Xi'an Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE) and Xi'an Institute of Biomedical Materials & Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), Nanjing 211800, China
- The Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE, Future Technologies), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China
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Mofazzal Jahromi MA, Abdoli A, Rahmanian M, Bardania H, Bayandori M, Moosavi Basri SM, Kalbasi A, Aref AR, Karimi M, Hamblin MR. Microfluidic Brain-on-a-Chip: Perspectives for Mimicking Neural System Disorders. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 56:8489-8512. [PMID: 31264092 PMCID: PMC6842047 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-01653-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) include more than 600 types of nervous system disorders in humans that impact tens of millions of people worldwide. Estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest NDDs will increase by nearly 50% by 2030. Hence, development of advanced models for research on NDDs is needed to explore new therapeutic strategies and explore the pathogenesis of these disorders. Different approaches have been deployed in order to investigate nervous system disorders, including two-and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) cell cultures and animal models. However, these models have limitations, such as lacking cellular tension, fluid shear stress, and compression analysis; thus, studying the biochemical effects of therapeutic molecules on the biophysiological interactions of cells, tissues, and organs is problematic. The microfluidic "organ-on-a-chip" is an inexpensive and rapid analytical technology to create an effective tool for manipulation, monitoring, and assessment of cells, and investigating drug discovery, which enables the culture of various cells in a small amount of fluid (10-9 to 10-18 L). Thus, these chips have the ability to overcome the mentioned restrictions of 2D and 3D cell cultures, as well as animal models. Stem cells (SCs), particularly neural stem cells (NSCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have the capability to give rise to various neural system cells. Hence, microfluidic organ-on-a-chip and SCs can be used as potential research tools to study the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) disorders. Accordingly, in the present review, we discuss the latest progress in microfluidic brain-on-a-chip as a powerful and advanced technology that can be used in basic studies to investigate normal and abnormal functions of the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirza Ali Mofazzal Jahromi
- Department of Advanced Medical Sciences & Technologies, School of Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
- Research Center for Noncommunicable Diseases, School of Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
| | - Amir Abdoli
- Research Center for Noncommunicable Diseases, School of Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
- Zoonoses Research Center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
| | - Mohammad Rahmanian
- Research Center for Noncommunicable Diseases, School of Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
| | - Hassan Bardania
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Bayandori
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Alireza Kalbasi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amir Reza Aref
- Department of Cancer Biology, Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Mahdi Karimi
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Research Center for Science and Technology in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Michael R Hamblin
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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