Microfluidic Organ-on-a-Chip Devices for Liver Disease Modeling In Vitro

Abstract

Mortality from liver disease conditions continues to be very high. As liver diseases manifest and progress silently, prompt measures after diagnosis are essential in the treatment of these conditions. Microfluidic organs-on-chip platforms have significant potential for the study of the pathophysiology of liver diseases in vitro. Different liver-on-a-chip microphysiological platforms have been reported to study cell-signaling pathways such as those activating stellate cells within liver diseases. Moreover, the drug efficacy for liver conditions might be evaluated on a cellular metabolic level. Here, we present a comprehensive review of microphysiological platforms used for modelling liver diseases. First, we briefly introduce the concept and importance of organs-on-a-chip in studying liver diseases in vitro, reflecting on existing reviews of healthy liver-on-a-chip platforms. Second, the techniques of cell cultures used in the microfluidic devices, including 2D, 3D, and spheroid cells, are explained. Next, the types of liver diseases (NAFLD, ALD, hepatitis infections, and drug injury) on-chip are explained for a further comprehensive overview of the design and methods of developing liver diseases in vitro. Finally, some challenges in design and existing solutions to them are reviewed

Validation of HepG2/C3A Cell Cultures in Cyclic Olefin Copolymer Based Microfluidic Bioreactors

“…Several studies have been published in recent years for Liver-on-a-chip applications underlining the great potential showed to replace animal experiments for drug testing and liver disease modelling although there are still some existing challenges to address [ 64 , 65 , 66 ]. The design of the biochip described demonstrated their potential for the cultures of different hepatic cells including HepG2/C3A, primary rat and human hepatocytes and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in PDMS material [ 18 , 38 , 56 , 67 ].…”

Biomedical Applications of Microfluidic Devices: A Review

“…Since liver diseases manifest and develop silently, it is vital to immediately take action following a diagnosis [ 315 ]. In vitro studies of the pathogenesis of liver disorders benefit from microfluidic disease-on-chip technologies [ 315 ]. Numerous liver disease-on-a-chip systems have been introduced, particularly for investigating fatty liver disease.…”

A Review of Microfluidic Experimental Designs for Nanoparticle Synthesis

“…Furthermore, investigations of chemical syntheses in various microreactors configurations may also represent an important base for designing chips for other purposes. Specifically, fluid dynamics analyses may be of good use for researchers aiming to fabricate microfluidic platforms for emerging biomedical applications, including non-invasive diagnosis devices [ 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 ], cell culture media (organs-on-a-chip) [ 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 ], and precise drug-delivery systems [ 118 , 119 , 120 , 121 ].…”