Organs-on-chips: a decade of innovation

3D Printed Tubulointerstitium Chip as an In Vitro Testing Platform

“…[7,[26][27][28] These models have the potential to be valuable alternatives/complementary to conventional 2D cell culture and preclinical in vivo animal models. [29,30] The synergy between engineering and cell biology has resulted into relevant 3D models that are being continuously improved and these have become gradually used worldwide for multiple purposes, such as translational research, [31] drug discovery and pharmaceutical industry [32][33][34] or disease studies. [35,36] Organ-on-chip models normally present PDMS, which is a frequently used polymer to encase and build 3D cell-culture platforms coupled with microfluidic flow systems by replicating a lithography-generated mold resulting in limited channel geometries.…”

“…[ 7,26–28 ] These models have the potential to be valuable alternatives/complementary to conventional 2D cell culture and preclinical in vivo animal models. [ 29,30 ] The synergy between engineering and cell biology has resulted into relevant 3D models that are being continuously improved and these have become gradually used worldwide for multiple purposes, such as translational research, [ 31 ] drug discovery and pharmaceutical industry [ 32–34 ] or disease studies. [ 35,36 ]…”

Fabrication of sac-like hydrogel membranes for replicating curved tissue barriers on chips

“…Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) devices are capable of recreating the functional units of living organs using microfluidics, and are thus being developed into powerful preclinical models. 1 In such three-dimensional (3D) OOC devices, chemical components, spatial structures, mechanical cues, and multicellular interactions can be precisely engineered to mimic in vivo microenvironments. 2 Thus, OOC devices have the unique capability to replicate complex tissue-tissue interfaces, in particular, important human tissue barriers.…”

Vat photopolymerization 3D printed microfluidic devices for organ-on-a-chip applications

“…Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) platforms, typically comprising perfused cell cultures in micro-scale microfluidic devices, are quickly becoming the predominant pre-clinical in vitro testing method. 1,2 It is anticipated that as these devices continue to demonstrate translational outcomes, more researchers will develop and customize OoCs for specific applications within their laboratories. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) replica molding of planar sheets with embedded microchannels is the current state of the art, and many researchers successfully utilize this material for custom OoCs.…”