Multi-organ microphysiological system: A new paradigm for COVID-19 research

Area of Science:

• * Systems biology and biomedical engineering
• * Infectious disease modeling
• * Organ-on-a-chip technology

Background:

• * Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a systemic illness impacting multiple organs.
• * The precise mechanisms causing multi-organ dysfunction (direct viral infection vs. indirect injury) remain unclear.
• * There is a critical need to understand the systemic impact of SARS-CoV-2 and the pathogenesis of extrapulmonary organ damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To review advancements in using multi-organ microphysiological systems (MOPS) for COVID-19 research.
• * To discuss current challenges and future prospects of MOPS in modeling systemic COVID-19 effects.
• * To explore the potential of MOPS in elucidating extrapulmonary organ injury mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• * Review of recent research utilizing multi-organ microphysiological systems for modeling SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• * Analysis of the capabilities of engineered tissues and inter-organ communication in MOPS.
• * Discussion of the application of MOPS in simulating whole-body physiological responses to viral infections.

Main Results:

• * MOPS provide a platform to model systemic physiology and inter-organ communication relevant to COVID-19.
• * These systems enable the study of direct viral effects and indirect injury pathways across multiple organs.
• * Recent advancements show promise in replicating complex systemic manifestations of COVID-19.

Conclusions:

• * Multi-organ microphysiological systems are powerful tools for investigating the systemic impact of SARS-CoV-2.
• * Further development of MOPS is crucial for understanding COVID-19 pathogenesis and extrapulmonary organ damage.
• * MOPS offer a promising avenue for future research into systemic infectious diseases.