Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2025
Fibroblast Derived Human Engineered Connective Tissue for Screening Applications
Published on: August 20, 2021
Intersection of stem cell biology and engineering towards next generation in vitro models of human fibrosis
Erika Yan Wang1,2, Yimu Zhao2,3, Sargol Okhovatian2,3
1David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.
Abstract:
Human fibrotic diseases constitute a major health problem worldwide. Fibrosis involves significant etiological heterogeneity and encompasses a wide spectrum of diseases affecting various organs. To date, many fibrosis targeted therapeutic agents failed due to inadequate efficacy and poor prognosis. In order to dissect disease mechanisms and develop therapeutic solutions for fibrosis patients, in vitro disease models have gone a long way in terms of platform development. The introduction of engineered organ-on-a-chip platforms has brought a revolutionary dimension to the current fibrosis studies and discovery of anti-fibrotic therapeutics. Advances in human induced pluripotent stem cells and tissue engineering technologies are enabling significant progress in this field. Some of the most recent breakthroughs and emerging challenges are discussed, with an emphasis on engineering strategies for platform design, development, and application of machine learning on these models for anti-fibrotic drug discovery. In this review, we discuss engineered designs to model fibrosis and how biosensor and machine learning technologies combine to facilitate mechanistic studies of fibrosis and pre-clinical drug testing.
Insights
Engineered organ-on-a-chip models, utilizing human stem cells and machine learning, offer new avenues for studying fibrotic diseases and discovering effective anti-fibrotic therapies.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Stem Cell Biology
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Fibrotic diseases are a global health concern with diverse causes and limited effective treatments.
- Current therapeutic strategies for fibrosis often show inadequate efficacy and poor patient prognosis.
- In vitro models are crucial for understanding fibrosis mechanisms and developing new treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advancements in engineered organ-on-a-chip platforms for modeling human fibrotic diseases.
- To highlight the integration of human induced pluripotent stem cells and tissue engineering.
- To discuss the application of machine learning and biosensor technologies in fibrosis research and drug discovery.
Main Methods:
- Review of engineered organ-on-a-chip platform designs for fibrosis modeling.
- Integration of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and tissue engineering.
- Application of biosensor and machine learning (ML) technologies for mechanistic studies and drug testing.
Main Results:
- Organ-on-a-chip platforms represent a revolutionary approach to fibrosis studies.
- Advances in hiPSCs and tissue engineering enable sophisticated fibrosis models.
- Machine learning and biosensors enhance mechanistic insights and pre-clinical drug evaluation.
Conclusions:
- Engineered organ-on-a-chip models show significant promise for advancing fibrosis research.
- The synergy of hiPSCs, tissue engineering, biosensors, and ML is key for future anti-fibrotic drug discovery.
- These integrated approaches facilitate mechanistic studies and improve pre-clinical testing for fibrosis.
