Tissue Barrier-on-Chip: A Technology for Reproducible Practice in Drug Testing

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Pharmacology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Organ-on-chip systems are crucial for studying drug transport across biological barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier.
• Existing systems face challenges with static cell culture transfer and material limitations (polydimethylsiloxane - PDMS).

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an improved organ-on-chip platform for drug permeation testing.
• To overcome limitations in transferring static cell culture protocols and material constraints in microfluidic drug testing.

Main Methods:

• Developed a chip platform enabling tissue transfer post-seeding on membranes (polymer or Si3N4).
• Utilized a microscopable glass chip with two fluid compartments and embedded electrodes, minimizing PDMS contact.
• Incorporated features for automated fluid control, inertness, and air bubble trapping.

Main Results:

• The new design allows seamless transfer of established static cell models into microfluidic systems.
• The glass chip design minimizes PDMS-related issues, improving quantitative measurements of hydrophobic drugs.
• The system facilitates reproducible microfluidic perfusion studies of tissue barriers.

Conclusions:

• The presented organ-on-chip platform offers a practical and versatile solution for drug permeation testing.
• It enhances the study of in vitro tissue barrier models under reproducible microfluidic conditions.
• This innovation addresses key limitations, paving the way for more reliable drug development research.