Engineering cell heterogeneity into organs-on-a-chip
David R Mertz1, Tasdiq Ahmed, Shuichi Takayama
1Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech College of Engineering and Emory School of Medicine, USA. takayama@gatech.edu.
Lab on a Chip
|July 25, 2018
Summary
Organ-on-a-chip technology benefits from understanding cell heterogeneity. This review explores single cell analysis methods to better mimic complex in vivo environments in organoid models.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Cell Biology
- Physiology
Background:
- Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) development aims to replicate complex in vivo microenvironments.
- Cell-to-cell variability is crucial in physiological tissues, impacting biological functions.
- Advances in microfluidic single cell analysis have enhanced understanding of tissue heterogeneity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review cell heterogeneity characterization relevant to OOC development.
- To examine how single cell analysis informs OOC models.
- To propose methods for improving OOC mimicry of physiological heterogeneity.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on cell heterogeneity in tumors, lung, and intestine.
- Analysis of recent single cell analysis strategies.
- Discussion of adaptation strategies for OOC culture methods.
Main Results:
- Cell heterogeneity is a key feature of physiological tissues, influencing organ function.
- Single cell analysis provides insights into cellular diversity within tissues.
- Current OOC methods can be adapted to better represent physiological cell heterogeneity.
Conclusions:
- Accurate characterization of cell heterogeneity is vital for advancing OOC technology.
- Incorporating rare cell types and events is essential for OOC fidelity.
- Improved OOC models will enhance their utility in research and drug development.
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