TEER measurement techniques for in vitro barrier model systems.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Cell Biology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Transepithelial/transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) is a key technique for assessing the integrity of cellular barriers in vitro.
• TEER measurements quantify tight junction dynamics in endothelial and epithelial monolayers, crucial for evaluating drug and chemical transport.
• TEER is widely used in models of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and pulmonary systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review various TEER measurement techniques, analyzing their respective strengths and weaknesses.
• To determine the significance of TEER in the context of drug toxicity studies.
• To examine in vitro and microfluidic organ-on-chip models utilizing TEER for BBB, GI, and pulmonary barrier research.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on TEER measurement techniques, including ohmic resistance and impedance spectroscopy.
• Analysis of TEER applications in established in vitro barrier models (BBB, GI, pulmonary).
• Discussion of microfluidic implementations and organ-on-chip systems employing TEER.

Main Results:

• TEER provides real-time, non-damaging assessment of barrier integrity.
• TEER values are influenced by factors like temperature, medium composition, and cell passage number.
• TEER is a valuable tool for characterizing barrier models and assessing drug effects.

Conclusions:

• TEER is a versatile and essential technique for evaluating cellular barrier function in various physiological models.
• Understanding factors affecting TEER is critical for accurate interpretation of results, particularly in drug development and toxicity testing.
• TEER measurements in advanced models like organs-on-chips offer significant potential for predictive toxicology and personalized medicine.