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The ethical constraints and shortcomings of animal models, combined with the demand to study disease pathogenesis under controlled conditions, are giving rise to a new field at the interface of tissue engineering and pathophysiology, which focuses on the development of in vitro models of disease. In vitro models are defined as synthetic experimental systems that contain living human cells and mimic tissue- and organ-level physiology in vitro by taking advantage of recent advances in tissue engineering and microfabrication. This review provides an overview of in vitro models and focuses specifically on in vitro disease models of the endocrine pancreas and diabetes. First, we briefly review the anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of the human pancreas, with an emphasis on islets of Langerhans and beta cell dysfunction. We then discuss different types of in vitro models and fundamental elements that should be considered when developing an in vitro disease model. Finally, we review the current state and breakthroughs in the field of pancreatic in vitro models and conclude with some challenges that need to be addressed in the future development of in vitro models.

The development of novel polymer-based materials opens up possibilities for several novel applications, such as advanced wound dressings, bioinks for 3D biofabrication, drug delivery systems, etc. The aim of this study was to evaluate the viability of vascular and intestinal epithelial cells on different polymers as a selection procedure for more advanced cell-polymer applications. In addition, possible correlations between increased cell viability and material properties were investigated. Twelve polymers were selected, and thin films were prepared by dissolution and spin coating on silicon wafers. The prepared thin films were structurally characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and goniometry. Their biocompatibility was determined using two epithelial cell lines (human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human intestinal epithelial cells), assessing the metabolic activity, cell density, and morphology. The tested cell lines showed different preferences regarding the culture substrate. No clear correlation was found between viability and individual substrate characteristics, suggesting that complex synergistic effects may play an important role in substrate design. These results show that a systematic approach is required to compare the biocompatibility of simple cell culture substrates as well as more complex applications (e.g., bioinks).

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