Biomedical Application of Functional Materials in Organ-on-a-Chip

Abstract

The organ-on-a-chip (OOC) technology has been utilized in a lot of biomedical fields such as fundamental physiological and pharmacological researches. Various materials have been introduced in OOC and can be broadly classified into inorganic, organic, and hybrid materials. Although PDMS continues to be the preferred material for laboratory research, materials for OOC are constantly evolving and progressing, and have promoted the development of OOC. This mini review provides a summary of the various type of materials for OOC systems, focusing on the progress of materials and related fabrication technologies within the last 5 years. The advantages and drawbacks of these materials in particular applications are discussed. In addition, future perspectives and challenges are also discussed.

Development of a Hybrid Polymer-Based Microfluidic Platform for Culturing Hepatocytes towards Liver-on-a-Chip Applications

“…Materials used to fabricate the platforms play a crucial role in their application for growing functional cell culture on-chip. Material considerations include biocompatibility with cells, optical transparency for imaging cell culture, suitability for rapid prototyping, and easy fabrication of microfluidic platforms [ 3 ]. One of the most commonly used materials in microfluidics and microphysiological platforms is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).…”

Organ‐on‐chip to investigate host‐pathogens interactions

“…Hydrogels are being investigated nowadays since they are highly biocompatible and many features like porosity, mechanical stiffness, or elasticity can be modulated (Ding et al, 2020). They are 3D polymers soft networks containing mostly water (Seliktar, 2012), with a lower but tunable stiffness (0.5 kPa~100 kPa, [Zhao et al, 2019]) and can be classified into natural, synthetic and hybrid materials.…”

Modeling the Mechanobiology of Cancer Cell Migration Using 3D Biomimetic Hydrogels

“…A careful design and fabrication of the hydrogels is crucial to properly recapitulate specific mechanobiological responses, and in particular, those involved in the migration of normal and cancer cells [ 163 , 164 ]. To this end, the material must be structurally stable during processing and after gelation, adopting the desired 3D geometry [ 165 ]. Moreover, hydrogels must display the appropriate mechanical and biochemical properties, i.e., elasticity, porosity, permeability, stiffness, cross-linking, and biodegradability, to render a suitable environment for cell attachment, growth, and differentiation [ 166 , 167 ].…”