Pumpless microfluidic platform for drug testing on human skin equivalents

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Tissue Engineering
• Dermal Research

Background:

• Bio-mimetic in vitro human skin models are crucial for efficient drug screening.
• Current models often require significant resources and lack long-term stability.
• Developing advanced models that mimic physiological conditions is essential for accurate drug evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a microfluidic platform for long-term maintenance of full-thickness human skin equivalents (HSEs).
• To establish a physiologically relevant air-epidermal interface for HSE maturation.
• To validate the platform's utility for drug screening and assessment of skin barrier function.

Main Methods:

• Development of a microfluidic platform enabling recirculation of culture medium.
• Maintenance of full-thickness HSEs with epidermal and dermal compartments.
• Assessment of keratinocyte differentiation, skin barrier function, and drug toxicity using immunohistochemistry and transdermal transport models.

Main Results:

• The microfluidic platform successfully maintained HSEs for three weeks, supporting keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation.
• All epidermal sub-layers were established within one week, with basal keratinocytes remaining proliferative.
• The skin barrier function was maintained for three weeks, and the platform effectively demonstrated doxorubicin's toxic effects on skin structure.

Conclusions:

• The HSE-on-a-chip platform offers a user-friendly, cost-effective, and efficient in vitro solution for drug testing.
• It accurately mimics human skin physiology, supporting long-term maintenance and differentiation of skin equivalents.
• This technology advances the field of dermal drug discovery and toxicity testing.