scholarly journals Gut-on-chip: Recreating human intestine in vitro

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 204173142096531
Author(s):  
Yunqing Xiang ◽  
Hui Wen ◽  
Yue Yu ◽  
Mingqiang Li ◽  
Xiongfei Fu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
Intestinal Flora ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Intestinal Microbiome ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Intestinal Microbes ◽  
Number Of Microorganisms ◽  
On Chip

The human gut is important for food digestion and absorption, as well as a venue for a large number of microorganisms that coexist with the host. Although numerous in vitro models have been proposed to study intestinal pathology or interactions between intestinal microbes and host, they are far from recapitulating the real intestinal microenvironment in vivo. To assist researchers in further understanding gut physiology, the intestinal microbiome, and disease processes, a novel technology primarily based on microfluidics and cell biology, called “gut-on-chip,” was developed to simulate the structure, function, and microenvironment of the human gut. In this review, we first introduce various types of gut-on-chip systems, then highlight their applications in drug pharmacokinetics, host–gut microbiota crosstalk, and nutrition metabolism. Finally, we discuss challenges in this field and prospects for better understanding interactions between intestinal flora and human hosts, and then provide guidance for clinical treatment of related diseases.

scholarly journals Organs-On-Chip Models of the Female Reproductive System

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Mancini ◽  
Virginia Pensabene
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Hormonal Treatment ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Toxicity Screening ◽  
Paracrine Signalling ◽  
On Chip

Microfluidic-based technology attracts great interest in cell biology and medicine, in virtue of the ability to better mimic the in vivo cell microenvironment compared to conventional macroscale cell culture platforms. Recent Organs-on-chip (OoC) models allow to reproduce in vitro tissue and organ-level functions of living organs and systems. These models have been applied for the study of specific functions of the female reproductive tract, which is composed of several organs interconnected through intricate endocrine pathways and communication mechanisms. To date, a disease and toxicology study of this system has been difficult to perform. Thus, there is a compelling need to develop innovative platforms for the generation of disease model and for performing drug toxicity/screening in vitro studies. This review is focused on the analysis of recently published OoC models that recreate pathological and physiological characteristics of the female reproductive organs and tissues. These models aim to be used to assess changes in metabolic activity of the specific cell types and the effect of exposure to hormonal treatment or chemical substances on some aspects of reproduction and fertility. We examined these models in terms of device specifications, operating procedures, accuracy for studying the biochemical and functional activity of living tissues and the paracrine signalling that occurs within the different tissues. These models represent a powerful tool for understanding important diseases and syndromes affecting women all around the world. Immediate adoption of these models will allow to clarify diseases, causes and adverse events occurring during pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia, infertility or preterm birth, endometriosis and infertility.

scholarly journals Current Advances in 3D Tissue and Organ Reconstruction

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 830
Author(s):  
Georgia Pennarossa ◽  
Sharon Arcuri ◽  
Teresina De Iorio ◽  
Fulvio Gandolfi ◽  
Tiziana A. L. Brevini
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
Drug Testing ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
3D Culture ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
The Body ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Culture Systems

Bi-dimensional culture systems have represented the most used method to study cell biology outside the body for over a century. Although they convey useful information, such systems may lose tissue-specific architecture, biomechanical effectors, and biochemical cues deriving from the native extracellular matrix, with significant alterations in several cellular functions and processes. Notably, the introduction of three-dimensional (3D) platforms that are able to re-create in vitro the structures of the native tissue, have overcome some of these issues, since they better mimic the in vivo milieu and reduce the gap between the cell culture ambient and the tissue environment. 3D culture systems are currently used in a broad range of studies, from cancer and stem cell biology, to drug testing and discovery. Here, we describe the mechanisms used by cells to perceive and respond to biomechanical cues and the main signaling pathways involved. We provide an overall perspective of the most recent 3D technologies. Given the breadth of the subject, we concentrate on the use of hydrogels, bioreactors, 3D printing and bioprinting, nanofiber-based scaffolds, and preparation of a decellularized bio-matrix. In addition, we report the possibility to combine the use of 3D cultures with functionalized nanoparticles to obtain highly predictive in vitro models for use in the nanomedicine field.

scholarly journals In vitro infection models to study fungal-host interactions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonia Last ◽  
Michelle Maurer ◽  
Alexander S Mosig ◽  
Mark S Gresnigt ◽  
Bernhard Hube
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Infections ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Fungal Host ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
Mucosal Surfaces ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
On Chip ◽  
Fungal Interactions

Abstract Fungal infections (mycoses) affect over a billion people per year. Approximately two million of these infections are life-threatening, especially for patients with a compromised immune system. Fungi of the genera Aspergillus, Candida, Histoplasma, and Cryptococcus are opportunistic pathogens that contribute to a substantial number of mycoses. To optimize the diagnosis and treatment of mycoses, we need to understand the complex fungal-host interplay during pathogenesis, the fungal attributes causing virulence, and how the host resists infection via immunological defenses. In vitro models can be used to mimic fungal infections of various tissues and organs and the corresponding immune responses at near-physiological conditions. Furthermore, models can include fungal interactions with the host-microbiota to mimic the in vivo situation on skin and mucosal surfaces. This article reviews currently used in vitro models of fungal infections ranging from cell monolayers to microfluidic 3D organ-on-chip (OOC) platforms. We also discuss how OOC models can expand the toolbox for investigating interactions of fungi and their human hosts in the future.

scholarly journals Quantifying nanotherapeutics penetration using hydrogel based microsystem as a new 3D in-vitro platform

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saba Goodarzi ◽  
Audrey Prunet ◽  
Fabien Rossetti ◽  
Olivier Tillement ◽  
Erika Porcel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Good Alternative ◽  
Intracellular Space ◽  
Tumour Spheroids ◽  
Specific Category ◽  
On Chip ◽  
Biology Laboratory

AbstractDespite progress in therapeutic strategies and understanding of cancer cell biology, there is a large attrition of promising therapeutics into the clinic. One predominant reason is the huge gap between 2D in-vitro assays used for drug screening, and the in-vivo 3D-physiological environment. This is particularly important for a specific category of emerging therapeutics: nanoparticles. The lack of physiological context hampered reliable predictions for the route and accumulation of those nanoparticles in-vivo. For such nanotherapeutics, Multi-Cellular Tumour Spheroids (MCTS) is emerging as a good alternative in-vitro model. However, the classical approaches to produce MCTS suffer from low yield, poor reproducibility and slow process, while spheroid-on-chip set-ups developed so far require a microfluidic practical knowledge difficult to transfer to a cell biology laboratory.We present here a simple yet highly flexible 3D-model microsystem consisting of agarose-based micro-wells. Fully compatible with the multi-well plates format conventionally used in cell biology, our simple process enables the formation of hundreds of reproducible spheroids in a single pipetting. It is compatible with live high-resolution optical microscopy and provides a user-friendly platform for in-situ immunostaining.As a proof-of-principle of the relevance of such in-vitro platform for the evaluation of nanoparticles, the aim of this study was to analyse the kinetic and localization of nanoparticles within colorectal cancer cells (HCT-116) MCTS. The nanoparticles chosen are sub-5 nm ultrasmall nanoparticles made of polysiloxane and gadolinium chelates that can be visualized in MRI and confocal microscopy (AGuIX®, currently implicated in clinical trials as effective radiosensitizers for radiotherapy). We show that the amount of AGuIX® nanoparticles within cells is largely different in 2D and 3D. Using our flexible agarose-based microsystems, we are able to resolve spatially and temporally the penetration and distribution of AGuIX® nanoparticles within tumour spheroids. The nanoparticles are first found in both extracellular and intracellular space of spheroids, within lysosomes compartment. While the extracellular part is washed away after few days, we evidenced trafficking of AGuIX® nanoparticles that are also found within mitochondria. Our agarose-based microsystem appears hence as a promising 3D in-vitro platform for investigation of nanotherapeutics transport, ahead of in-vivo studies.

Clinically Relevant Tissue Scale Responses as New Readouts from Organs-on-a-Chip for Precision Medicine

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier T. Guenat ◽  
Thomas Geiser ◽  
François Berthiaume
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Tissue Level ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Tissue Properties ◽  
Metabolic Functions ◽  
Level Information ◽  
On Chip ◽  
And Function

Organs-on-chips (OOC) are widely seen as being the next generation in vitro models able to accurately recreate the biochemical-physical cues of the cellular microenvironment found in vivo. In addition, they make it possible to examine tissue-scale functional properties of multicellular systems dynamically and in a highly controlled manner. Here we summarize some of the most remarkable examples of OOC technology's ability to extract clinically relevant tissue-level information. The review is organized around the types of OOC outputs that can be measured from the cultured tissues and transferred to clinically meaningful information. First, the creation of functional tissues-on-chip is discussed, followed by the presentation of tissue-level readouts specific to OOC, such as morphological changes, vessel formation and function, tissue properties, and metabolic functions. In each case, the clinical relevance of the extracted information is highlighted.

scholarly journals Electrophysiology Read-Out Tools for Brain-on-Chip Biotechnology

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 124
Author(s):  
Csaba Forro ◽  
Davide Caron ◽  
Gian Angotzi ◽  
Vincenzo Gallo ◽  
Luca Berdondini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Pharmaceutical Research ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Cell Culture Techniques ◽  
Lab On Chip ◽  
Culture Techniques ◽  
On Chip

Brain-on-Chip (BoC) biotechnology is emerging as a promising tool for biomedical and pharmaceutical research applied to the neurosciences. At the convergence between lab-on-chip and cell biology, BoC couples in vitro three-dimensional brain-like systems to an engineered microfluidics platform designed to provide an in vivo-like extrinsic microenvironment with the aim of replicating tissue- or organ-level physiological functions. BoC therefore offers the advantage of an in vitro reproduction of brain structures that is more faithful to the native correlate than what is obtained with conventional cell culture techniques. As brain function ultimately results in the generation of electrical signals, electrophysiology techniques are paramount for studying brain activity in health and disease. However, as BoC is still in its infancy, the availability of combined BoC–electrophysiology platforms is still limited. Here, we summarize the available biological substrates for BoC, starting with a historical perspective. We then describe the available tools enabling BoC electrophysiology studies, detailing their fabrication process and technical features, along with their advantages and limitations. We discuss the current and future applications of BoC electrophysiology, also expanding to complementary approaches. We conclude with an evaluation of the potential translational applications and prospective technology developments.

scholarly journals Links between Nutrition, Infectious Diseases, and Microbiota: Emerging Technologies and Opportunities for Human-Focused Research

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1827
Author(s):  
Manuela Cassotta ◽  
Tamara Yuliett Forbes-Hernández ◽  
Ruben Calderón Iglesias ◽  
Roberto Ruiz ◽  
Maria Elexpuru Zabaleta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Computing Power ◽  
Sequencing Technologies ◽  
Nutrition Research ◽  
Computational Analyses ◽  
New Generation

The interaction between nutrition and human infectious diseases has always been recognized. With the emergence of molecular tools and post-genomics, high-resolution sequencing technologies, the gut microbiota has been emerging as a key moderator in the complex interplay between nutrients, human body, and infections. Much of the host–microbial and nutrition research is currently based on animals or simplistic in vitro models. Although traditional in vivo and in vitro models have helped to develop mechanistic hypotheses and assess the causality of the host–microbiota interactions, they often fail to faithfully recapitulate the complexity of the human nutrient–microbiome axis in gastrointestinal homeostasis and infections. Over the last decade, remarkable progress in tissue engineering, stem cell biology, microfluidics, sequencing technologies, and computing power has taken place, which has produced a new generation of human-focused, relevant, and predictive tools. These tools, which include patient-derived organoids, organs-on-a-chip, computational analyses, and models, together with multi-omics readouts, represent novel and exciting equipment to advance the research into microbiota, infectious diseases, and nutrition from a human-biology-based perspective. After considering some limitations of the conventional in vivo and in vitro approaches, in this review, we present the main novel available and emerging tools that are suitable for designing human-oriented research.

scholarly journals Innovative In Vitro Models for the Study of Lung Diseases

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vittorio Picchio ◽  
Vittoria Cammisotto ◽  
Francesca Pagano ◽  
Roberto Carnevale ◽  
Isotta Chimenti
Keyword(s):  
In Vitro Models ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽  
Physiological Relevance ◽  
Complex Models ◽  
On Chip

Basic and translational research on lung biology and pathology can greatly benefit from the development of 3D in vitro models with physiological relevance. Lung organoids and lungs-on-chip allow the creation of different kinds of in vitro microenvironments, that can be useful for the elucidation of novel pathogenetic pathways, for example concerning tissue fibrosis in chronic diseases. Moreover, they represent important translational models for the identification of novel therapeutic targets, and for preliminary testing of new drugs. In this chapter, we provide a selected overview of recent studies on innovative 3D in vitro models that have enhanced our knowledge on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), particularly concerning oxidative stress and pro-fibrotic pathogenetic mechanisms. Despite several limitations, these complex models must be considered as complementary in all respects to in vivo studies on animal models and clinical research.

scholarly journals Blood and Lymphatic Vasculatures On-Chip Platforms and Their Applications for Organ-Specific In Vitro Modeling

Micromachines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aria R. Henderson ◽  
Hyoann Choi ◽  
Esak Lee
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular System ◽  
Lymphatic System ◽  
Lymphatic Vessels ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
The Body ◽  
Interstitial Tissue ◽  
Organ Specific ◽  
On Chip

The human circulatory system is divided into two complementary and different systems, the cardiovascular and the lymphatic system. The cardiovascular system is mainly concerned with providing nutrients to the body via blood and transporting wastes away from the tissues to be released from the body. The lymphatic system focuses on the transport of fluid, cells, and lipid from interstitial tissue spaces to lymph nodes and, ultimately, to the cardiovascular system, as well as helps coordinate interstitial fluid and lipid homeostasis and immune responses. In addition to having distinct structures from each other, each system also has organ-specific variations throughout the body and both systems play important roles in maintaining homeostasis. Dysfunction of either system leads to devastating and potentially fatal diseases, warranting accurate models of both blood and lymphatic vessels for better studies. As these models also require physiological flow (luminal and interstitial), extracellular matrix conditions, dimensionality, chemotactic biochemical gradient, and stiffness, to better reflect in vivo, three dimensional (3D) microfluidic (on-a-chip) devices are promising platforms to model human physiology and pathology. In this review, we discuss the heterogeneity of both blood and lymphatic vessels, as well as current in vitro models. We, then, explore the organ-specific features of each system with examples in the gut and the brain and the implications of dysfunction of either vasculature in these organs. We close the review with discussions on current in vitro models for specific diseases with an emphasis on on-chip techniques.

Modulation of Matrix Metalloproteinases by Plant-Derived Products

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Najmi Mohamad Anuar ◽  
Nurul Iman Natasya Zulkafali ◽  
Azizah Ugusman
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Natural Products ◽  
Matrix Metalloproteinases ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Extracellular Matrix Components

: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a group of zinc-dependent metallo-endopeptidase that are responsible towards the degradation, repair and remodelling of extracellular matrix components. MMPs play an important role in maintaining a normal physiological function and preventing diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Natural products derived from plants have been used as traditional medicine for centuries. Its active compounds, such as catechin, resveratrol and quercetin, are suggested to play an important role as MMPs inhibitors, thereby opening new insights into their applications in many fields, such as pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries. This review summarises the current knowledge on plant-derived natural products with MMP-modulating activities. Most of the reviewed plant-derived products exhibit an inhibitory activity on MMPs. Amongst MMPs, MMP-2 and MMP-9 are the most studied. The expression of MMPs is inhibited through respective signalling pathways, such as MAPK, NF-κB and PI3 kinase pathways, which contribute to the reduction in cancer cell behaviours, such as proliferation and migration. Most studies have employed in vitro models, but a limited number of animal studies and clinical trials have been conducted. Even though plant-derived products show promising results in modulating MMPs, more in vivo studies and clinical trials are needed to support their therapeutic applications in the future.

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