Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 6, 2025

The Multi-organ Chip - A Microfluidic Platform for Long-term Multi-tissue Coculture

The Multi-organ Chip - A Microfluidic Platform for Long-term Multi-tissue Coculture

Published on: April 28, 2015

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

Xin Xie¹, Sushila Maharjan², Chastity Kelly¹

¹Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Advanced Materials Technologies

|June 27, 2022

Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

A 3D-bioprinted head and neck cancer model for drug screening.

Biomedical materials (Bristol, England)·2026

Same author

Collagen fibril diameter quantification using interference confocal reflectance microscopy.

Biomedical optics express·2026

Same author

4D-printed adaptive hydrogel tissue expanders for ear and breast reconstruction.

Nature biomedical engineering·2026

Same author

Interference Confocal Reflectance Microscopy for Collagen Fibril Diameter Measurement.

Proceedings of SPIE--the International Society for Optical Engineering·2026

Same author

Bioinspired bioadhesion: translating nature's adhesive strategies into regenerative medicine.

Med-X·2026

Same author

A Pressure Regulator Platform for Applying Biomechanical Stimuli on Organ-on-A-Chip Systems with Physiological and Pathological Relevancy.

Regenerative engineering and translational medicine·2026

Researchers developed an origami liver-on-a-chip device that mimics liver functions and microenvironment. This novel fabrication method simplifies creating sophisticated tissue models for drug testing and research.

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.

Keywords:

biofabrication organ-on-a-chip tissue modeling vascularization

More Related Videos

Scalable Fabrication of Stretchable, Dual Channel, Microfluidic Organ Chips

Scalable Fabrication of Stretchable, Dual Channel, Microfluidic Organ Chips

Published on: October 20, 2018

Generation of a Human iPSC-Based Blood-Brain Barrier Chip

Generation of a Human iPSC-Based Blood-Brain Barrier Chip

Published on: March 2, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 6, 2025

The Multi-organ Chip - A Microfluidic Platform for Long-term Multi-tissue Coculture

The Multi-organ Chip - A Microfluidic Platform for Long-term Multi-tissue Coculture

Published on: April 28, 2015

Scalable Fabrication of Stretchable, Dual Channel, Microfluidic Organ Chips

Scalable Fabrication of Stretchable, Dual Channel, Microfluidic Organ Chips

Published on: October 20, 2018

Generation of a Human iPSC-Based Blood-Brain Barrier Chip

Generation of a Human iPSC-Based Blood-Brain Barrier Chip

Published on: March 2, 2020

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.