Significant advances in biomaterials, stem cell biology, and microscale technologies have enabled the fabrication of biologically relevant tissues and organs. Such tissues and organs, referred to as organ-on-a-chip (OOC) platforms, have emerged as a powerful tool in tissue analysis and disease modeling for biological and pharmacological applications. A variety of biomaterials are used in tissue fabrication providing multiple biological, structural, and mechanical cues in the regulation of cell behavior and tissue morphogenesis. Cells derived from humans enable the fabrication of personalized OOC platforms. Microscale technologies are specifically helpful in providing physiological microenvironments for tissues and organs. In this review, biomaterials, cells, and microscale technologies are described as essential components to construct OOC platforms. The latest developments in OOC platforms (e.g., liver, skeletal muscle, cardiac, cancer, lung, skin, bone, and brain) are then discussed as functional tools in simulating human physiology and metabolism. Future perspectives and major challenges in the development of OOC platforms toward accelerating clinical studies of drug discovery are finally highlighted.
Synthetic polyester elastomeric constructs have become increasingly important for a range of healthcare applications, due to tunable soft elastic properties that mimic those of human tissues. A number of these constructs require intricate mechanic design to achieve a tunable material with controllable curing. Here, we present the synthesis and characterization of poly(itaconate-co-citrateco-octanediol) (PICO), which exhibits tunable formation of elastomeric networks through radical crosslinking of itaconate in the polymer backbone of viscous polyester gels. Through variation of reaction times and monomer molar composition, we were able to generate materials with modulation of a wide range of elasticity (36-1476 kPa), indicating the tunability of materials to specific elastomeric constructs. This correlated with measured rapid and controllable gelation times. As a proof-of-principle, we developed scaffold support for cardiac tissue patches, which presented visible tissue organization and viability with appropriate elastomeric support from PICO materials. These formulations present potential application in a range of healthcare applications with requirement for elastomeric support with controllable, rapid gelation under mild conditions.
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