Towards the development of human immune-system-on-a-chip platforms

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Immunology
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) platforms offer revolutionary potential for drug discovery and precision therapy.
• Current OoC systems often neglect the immune system, despite its critical role in drug responses and novel therapeutics.
• New therapeutic products like biologics and engineered T cells frequently involve immune reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the distinctive features of the human immune system.
• To survey microfluidic devices designed to mimic organs with integrated immune components.
• To highlight the importance of incorporating immune system functionality into OoC platforms.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of organ-on-a-chip technologies.
• Analysis of microfluidic systems incorporating immune cells or tissues.
• Synthesis of immune system characteristics relevant to OoC development.

Main Results:

• Identified a gap in OoC research regarding immune system integration.
• Cataloged existing microfluidic models of lymphoid and other organs with immune components.
• Emphasized the need for immune-inclusive OoC platforms for advanced therapies.

Conclusions:

• Integrating immune system components into OoC platforms is crucial for advancing drug discovery.
• Mimicking immune functions in microfluidic devices can enhance the predictive power of OoC models.
• Future OoC development should prioritize the inclusion of immune system elements for comprehensive physiological representation.