Biomimetic microsystems for cardiovascular studies

Abstract

Tissue culture platforms have been around for several decades and have enabled numerous key findings in the cardiovascular field. However, these platforms fail to recreate the mechanical and dynamic features found within the body. Organs-on-chips (OOCs) are cellularized microfluidic based devices that can mimic the basic structure, function, and responses of organs. These systems have been successfully utilized in disease, development, and drug studies. OOCs are designed to recapitulate the mechanical, electrical, chemical, and structural features of the in vivo microenvironment. Here, we review cardiovascular-themed OOC studies, design considerations, and techniques used to generate microtissues within these devices. Further, we will highlight the advantages of OOCs over traditional cell culture methods, discuss implementation challenges, and provide perspectives on the state of the field.

Perspective Chapter: In Vitro Contracting Cardiomyogenic Models from Whole Fish Embryos and Larvae – Method, Properties, and Applications

“…Cell cultures represent a fundamental in vitro technology in several research fields [1][2][3]. Since these experimental systems have become part of everyday research, they have contributed to important discoveries, including key findings in cardiomyocyte mechanisms concerning the cardiovascular field [3]. Cardiomyocytes are the main components of heart tissue and have their origin in mesodermal stem cells [4].…”

“…In vivo models of animal species like rats and pigs are currently used as the gold standard to understand pathology mechanisms and explore novel treatments within the context of a whole organism [3,6], as the cardiovascular apparatus is characterized by a high degree of complexity, which means that a number of cardiovascular diseases are usually multifactorial [7,8]. However, these kinds of experimental in vivo models have some important limitations that make them alone insufficient in certain circumstances such as the discovery and development of new therapies [3,6]. The main disadvantages of in vivo models are in fact the ethical concerns, the high costs, and the low throughput.…”

“…For these reasons, multiple in vitro cardiomyogenic models from different mammalian and teleost species were developed for basic and applied research during the last decades [3,9].…”

Cardiovascular human organ‐on‐a‐chip platform for disease modeling, drug development, and personalized therapy

“…These systems can mimic structural organization, flow shear stress, mechanical tension, transmural force, and electrical activity. 9 Cardiac-and vascular-OoC systems have been developed to model and probe the effectiveness of drugs in treating CVD. This review highlights the recent advancements in the development of the cardiovascular OoC platform for drug discovery and disease modeling.…”

“…OoC techniques have been studied to recapitulate the dynamic microenvironment of cardiac and general vasculature. These systems can mimic structural organization, flow shear stress, mechanical tension, transmural force, and electrical activity 9 . Cardiac‐ and vascular‐OoC systems have been developed to model and probe the effectiveness of drugs in treating CVD.…”