Customizable Microfluidic Origami Liver-on-a-Chip (oLOC)

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Tissue Engineering
• Microfluidics

Background:

• The liver performs complex metabolic and detoxification functions essential for health.
• Accurate in vitro models are needed to study liver physiology and drug responses.
• Existing liver models often fail to fully replicate the in vivo microenvironment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate an origami-based liver-on-a-chip device.
• To evaluate the device's ability to recapitulate liver architecture, microenvironment, and functions.
• To demonstrate the utility of the model for assessing hepatocyte function and drug-induced toxicity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized laser-cut polyimide tape and nanoporous membranes folded into a multi-chambered chip.
• Seeded endothelial cells in outer chambers and hepatocytes in the central chamber to mimic liver sinusoids and parenchyma.
• Developed a microfluidic system for nutrient and metabolite exchange, simulating physiological microcirculation.

Main Results:

• The origami liver-on-a-chip successfully recapitulated key aspects of liver in vivo architecture and microenvironment.
• The model maintained hepatocyte viability and metabolic functions over time.
• Demonstrated efficacy in evaluating the hepatotoxicity of pharmaceutical compounds.

Conclusions:

• The origami approach offers a simplified yet sophisticated method for fabricating advanced on-chip human tissue models.
• This liver-on-a-chip device provides a valuable platform for drug development and liver disease research.
• The model effectively supports hepatocyte function and enables reliable assessment of drug-induced liver injury.