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Monitoring tissue-level remodelling during inflammatory arthritis using a three-dimensional synovium-on-a-chip with
Mario Rothbauer1, Gregor Höll, Christoph Eilenberger
1Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria. mario.rothbauer@tuwien.ac.at peter.ertl@tuwien.ac.at.
Lab on a Chip
|March 29, 2020
Summary
A novel synovium-on-a-chip system monitors rheumatoid arthritis inflammation. This lab-on-a-chip approach detects early inflammatory changes in synovial tissue, offering new therapeutic insights.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Rheumatology
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease causing joint damage and reduced quality of life.
- Current therapies, including anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNFα) agents, often fail to induce disease remission.
- Understanding RA pathogenesis is crucial for developing novel therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a three-dimensional (3D) synovium-on-a-chip system.
- To monitor the onset and progression of inflammatory responses in synovial tissue.
- To investigate the effects of systemic stress factors on synovial tissue architecture.
Main Methods:
- Cultured patient-derived primary synovial organoids on a chip platform with embedded organic-photodetector arrays.
- Utilized a label-free, non-invasive optical light-scatter biosensing strategy.
- Monitored tissue responses over one week, with and without tumor necrosis factor (TNF).
Main Results:
- Detected inflammation-induced 3D tissue-level architectural changes within two days.
- Demonstrated reproducible and reliable data on synovial tissue responses.
- Showcased the system's ability to assess the impact of TNF on synovial organoids.
Conclusions:
- The synovium-on-a-chip system provides a novel platform for studying RA pathogenesis.
- This technology enables early detection of inflammation-induced tissue changes.
- The system offers a reliable method for evaluating therapeutic interventions and understanding RA mechanisms.
