Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Perizat Kanabekova, Adina Kadyrova, Gulsim Kulsharova
Summary: Mortality from liver disease is high and prompt measures are crucial. Microfluidic organs-on-chip platforms offer potential for studying the pathophysiology of liver diseases in vitro and evaluating drug efficacy. This review provides a comprehensive overview of liver disease modeling using microphysiological platforms, including cell signaling pathways, cell culture techniques, disease types, and design challenges with existing solutions.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Leyla Amirifar, Amir Shamloo, Rohollah Nasiri, Natan Roberto de Barros, Ze Zhong Wang, Bige Deniz Unluturk, Alberto Libanori, Oleksandr Ievglevskyi, Sibel Emir Diltemiz, Samuel Sances, Ilangko Balasingham, Stephanie K. Seidlits, Nureddin Ashammakhi
Summary: Recent advances in biomaterials, microfabrication, microfluidics, and cell biology have led to the development of organ-on-a-chip devices that can replicate key functions of various organs. These platforms promise to provide novel insights into physiological events, including disease mechanisms, and evaluate the impact of external interventions such as drug administration. Therefore, the neuroscience field is expected to benefit greatly from these innovative tools.
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Daniel Vera, Maria Garcia-Diaz, Nuria Torras, Mar Alvarez, Rosa Villa, Elena Martinez
Summary: Researchers have integrated hydrogels into microfluidic setups to develop tissue barrier-on-chips that accurately account for different cellular and acellular compartments, including the cellular components and functionality of in vivo tissues. These platforms have the potential to greatly improve the predictive capacities of in vitro systems in applications such as drug development or disease modeling, but face challenges in microfabrication.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Merve Ustun, Sajjad Rahmani Dabbagh, Irem Sultan Ilci, Tugba Bagci-Onder, Savas Tasoglu
Summary: Glioma-on-chip platforms simulate cancer cells' metabolic functions for analysis, offering a crucial tool for glioma research. This technology holds promise to enhance treatment efficacy, improve patient survival rates, and advance personalized medicine.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Thomas J. DePalma, Hemamylammal Sivakumar, Aleksander Skardal
Summary: In recent years, bioengineered in vitro models of cancer have been widely used for studying disease mechanisms, testing drugs, and developing personalized treatment options. This review discusses the considerations in developing accurate model systems that mimic the tumor microenvironment and can answer specific scientific questions. The importance of cell sourcing and biomaterial selection is emphasized, and examples of model form factors and biofabrication techniques are provided. The review also explores the application of these models in the context of glioblastoma, illustrating how they contribute to cancer biology research and drug development.
ADVANCED DRUG DELIVERY REVIEWS
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Viraj Mehta, Subha N. Rath
Summary: 3D printing technology has emerged as a promising alternative for fabricating microfluidic devices, overcoming limitations associated with conventional methods. Different manufacturing approaches, along with a wide range of additive manufacturing materials and recent research advancements, have helped address challenges in 3D printed microfluidic devices. Possible implications of 3D printed microfluidics in healthcare, such as in vitro disease modeling, organ modeling, drug development, personalized cancer treatment, and cancer drug screening, are discussed, along with future research directions.
BIO-DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Amin Mansoorifar, Ryan Gordon, Raymond C. Bergan, Luiz E. Bertassoni
Summary: Bone is a dynamic organ capable of adapting to changes in the body and repairing damaged tissue, but diseases like osteoporosis and metastatic cancers can compromise its function. Microfluidic technologies and organ-on-a-chip models provide more realistic tissue culture conditions, allowing for a better understanding of bone biology, diseases, and treatments. These advanced models offer potential for improved research in bone-related fields.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Louise Miny, Benoit G. C. Maisonneuve, Isabelle Quadrio, Thibault Honegger
Summary: This review summarizes and discusses the latest advancements of microfluidic models in studying neurodegenerative disorders, improving research models by providing accurate reproduction of neural circuits.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adelina-Gabriela Niculescu, Cristina Chircov, Alexandra Catalina Birca, Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu
Summary: Microfluidics is an emerging field that combines principles from various disciplines to fabricate miniaturized chips with channels and chambers. These chips, made using diverse methods, can be utilized in nanoparticle preparation, cell analysis, and diagnosis, among other biomedical applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Shuang Ding, Haijun Zhang, Xuemei Wang
Summary: Lung diseases pose serious threats to human health worldwide, and traditional models are unable to accurately simulate lung conditions. Human organ-on-a-chip platforms and biosensors can better mimic lung characteristics, providing new methods for studying disease development and drug efficacy.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sara Gimondi, Helena Ferreira, Rui L. L. Reis, Nuno M. M. Neves
Summary: The use of nanoparticles in nanomedicine has great potential in overcoming the limitations of conventional therapies and improving early diagnosis and follow-up of diseases. Microfluidic systems offer an efficient and cost-effective method for nanoparticle synthesis and screening by simulating dynamic fluid flows and specific microenvironments. Microfluidic devices allow for controlled synthesis of nanoparticles, enhancing batch-to-batch reproducibility, and provide versatile platforms for rapid and efficient in vitro and in vivo screening. This review summarizes the major microfluidic platforms for controlled nanoparticle synthesis, discusses innovative platforms for mimicking in vitro environments and organism-on-a-chip, and evaluates the current challenges and future directions of microfluidic systems in nanomedicine.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Roberto Paoli, Davide Di Giuseppe, Maider Badiola-Mateos, Eugenio Martinelli, Maria Jose Lopez-Martinez, Josep Samitier
Summary: This paper discusses the application of digital manufacturing and rapid prototyping technologies in Organ-on-a-Chip applications, as well as the main thermoplastic material choices and manufacturing methods, and investigates the limitations of the PDMS soft lithography strategy.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Haiqing Bai, Kristen N. Peters Olson, Ming Pan, Thomas Marshall, Hardeep Singh, Jingzhe Ma, Paige Gilbride, Yu-Chieh Yuan, Jenna McCormack, Longlong Si, Sushila Maharjan, Di Huang, Xiaohua Qian, Carol Livermore, Yu Shrike Zhang, Xin Xie
Summary: This study introduces an approach to pattern fluid guides inside microchannels by establishing differential hydrophilicity using pressure-sensitive adhesives as masks and a subsequent selective coating with a biocompatible polymer. The method achieves rapid and consistent hydrogel flow and is suitable for dynamic 3D cell culture. Additionally, the device shows potential for pharmaceutical high-throughput screening applications.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Zening Li, Jianan Hui, Panhui Yang, Hongju Mao
Summary: An organ-on-a-chip is a device that combines micro-manufacturing and tissue engineering to replicate the critical physiological environment and functions of human organs. It has the potential to predict drug responses and environmental effects on organs. Microfluidic technology has been widely applied in organ-on-chip systems to mimic specific organs or multiple organs, enabling the simulation of the human environment.
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Anagha Rama Varma, Parinaz Fathi
Summary: Organ-on-a-chip devices are powerful modeling systems that can mimic the structures and physiological conditions of human organs. The latest development is the production of vascularized organ-on-a-chip devices, which can more accurately reproduce conditions in the human body.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
N. R. Richbourg, M. Wancura, A. E. Gilchrist, S. Toubbeh, B. A. C. Harley, E. Cosgriff-Hernandez, N. A. Peppas
Summary: This study investigates how changes in synthesis conditions affect the network structure of hydrogels, and identifies linear correlations between synthesis variables and swelling behavior. It also demonstrates that complex biopolymer structures can disrupt the linear synthesis-swelling correlations. These findings provide insight into controlling hydrogel physical properties through structural design and can be used to optimize biomedically relevant hydrogels.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mai T. Ngo, Victoria R. Barnhouse, Aidan E. Gilchrist, Bhushan P. Mahadik, Christine J. Hunter, Joy N. Hensold, Nathan Petrikas, Brendan A. C. Harley
Summary: Biomaterials mimicking microenvironmental signals from the stem cell niche could improve platforms regulating stem cell behavior. Vascular-derived signals offer an important alternative signaling axis, but dose-dependent relationships between angiocrine signals and stem cell fate are difficult to determine in animal models and 2D cell cultures. This study uses microfluidic devices to create 3D hydrogels with lateral gradients in vascular density, revealing spatial patterns of HSC phenotype in response to angiocrine signals and showcasing the influence of local angiocrine signals on HSC fate.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Marley J. Dewey, Vasiliki Kolliopoulos, Mai T. Ngo, Brendan A. C. Harley
Summary: Research shows that modulating the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content in biomaterials can affect the activity of progenitor cells (such as hMSCs), as well as their ability to regulate osteoclastogenesis, vasculogenesis, and immune response. By adjusting the GAG content, indirect influence on the secretion of cytokines can be achieved, thus modulating overall osteogenic potential and angiogenic potential.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Samantha G. Zambuto, Shemona Rattila, Gabriela Dveksler, Brendan A. C. Harley
Summary: This study investigates the effects of PSG1 and PSG9, along with epidermal growth factor and Nodal, on trophoblast motility using 3D trophoblast motility assays. The results show that PSG9 reduces trophoblast motility while PSG1 increases motility, highlighting the importance of these factors in regulating trophoblast response during early pregnancy.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Aidan E. Gilchrist, Brendan A. C. Harley
Summary: This review describes recent advances in biomaterials systems to replicate features of the hematopoietic niche, providing stimuli and signals to support the encapsulation and expansion of hematopoietic stem cells. These engineered systems enable the study of the dynamic nature of matrix and cell-cell signaling.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Aleczandria S. Tiffany, Brendan A. C. Harley
Summary: This review provides an overview of growth plates, their role in skeletal development, injuries and diseases associated with growth plates, and the opportunities and challenges for developing biomaterial models for studying growth plate biology and diseases. It also describes the potential of sophisticated in vitro biomaterial models for studying growth plate remodeling and developing tissue engineering applications.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Isamar Pastrana-Otero, Sayani Majumdar, Aidan E. Gilchrist, Brendan A. C. Harley, Mary L. Kraft
Summary: This study demonstrates that a combination of Raman microspectroscopy and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) can be used to location-specifically identify individual living cells from the six most immature hematopoietic cell populations. By utilizing spectral features associated with cell biochemistries, the differentiation stages of cells can be accurately identified.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Samantha G. Zambuto, Ishita Jain, Kathryn B. H. Clancy, Gregory H. Underhill, Brendan A. C. Harley
Summary: The endometrium undergoes significant changes in tissue architecture and composition during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. The remodeling of the endometrial extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a crucial role in maintaining endometrial homeostasis. The endometrial basement membrane, which separates the endometrial epithelium from the underlying ECM, is an important component of the tissue microenvironment. This study focuses on investigating the attachment and expression of cytokeratin 18 (CK18) in endometrial epithelial cells (EEC) in response to different combinations of basement membrane proteins. The findings provide insights into tissue-engineered models of the endometrial microenvironment.
ACS BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mai T. Ngo, Jann N. Sarkaria, Brendan A. C. Harley
Summary: This article introduces a 3D in vitro model of the perivascular niche, which helps to understand the behavior and progression of brain tumor cells around blood vessels, and reveals the role of pericytes and astrocytes in regulating tumor cell invasion, proliferation, and therapeutic response.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Marley J. Dewey, Alan J. Collins, Aleczandria Tiffany, Victoria R. Barnhouse, Crislyn Lu, Vasiliki Kolliopoulos, Isha Mutrejag, Noreen J. Hickokh, Brendan A. C. Harley
Summary: The design of biomaterials for bone regeneration needs to reduce bacterial attachment and biofilm formation to prevent infection. This study investigates the ability of mineralized collagen biomaterials to resist infection and examines the effect of manuka honey on bacterial colonization, stem cell osteogenesis, and vasculature formation.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Marley J. Dewey, Kyle B. Timmer, Ashley Blystone, Crislyn Lu, Brendan A. C. Harley
Summary: Current treatments for craniomaxillofacial (CMF) defects require the design of instructive biomaterials. This study shows that the incorporation of ascorbic acid into a mineralized collagen scaffold can promote osteogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and influence gene expression related to bone formation. These findings highlight the importance of ascorbic acid in the design of mineralized collagen scaffolds for improved CMF outcomes.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH PART A
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Vasiliki Kolliopoulos, Maxwell Polanek, Hui Xu, Brendan Harley
Summary: This study investigates the influence of the initial inflammatory stance of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) on key osteogenic, angiogenic, and immuno-modulatory criteria in a class of mineralized collagen scaffolds for craniomaxillofacial (CMF) bone repair. The results highlight the importance of scaffold properties on the sustained kinetics of cell response to an inflammatory stimulus.
ACS BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marley J. Dewey, Brendan A. C. Harley
Summary: The bone microenvironment is complex, requiring biomaterial design to overcome obstacles such as infection, fibrous tissue formation, non-bone tissue formation, and voids in bone infill. Novel biomaterial designs may provide approaches to effectively induce osteogenesis and new bone formation while preventing failure due to unaddressed issues.
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Thomas G. Molley, Gagan K. Jalandhra, Stephanie R. Nemec, Aleczandria S. Tiffany, Amrutha Patkunarajah, Kate Poole, Brendan A. C. Harley, Tzong-tyng Hung, Kristopher A. Kilian
Summary: This study demonstrates the formation of model tumor microenvironments through direct writing of vasculature channels and tumor cell aggregates within a cell-laden microgel matrix. It provides a new avenue for research in modeling development and disease.
BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE
(2021)
