Microphysiological Modeling of Gingival Tissues and Host-Material Interactions Using Gingiva-on-Chip

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Microfluidics

Background:

• The gingiva serves as a critical barrier against oral microbiome and external agents.
• Existing in vitro models often fail to replicate the complex gingival microenvironment and its barrier functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an advanced in vitro microphysiological platform for biofabricating human gingival equivalents.
• To model both healthy and diseased (ulcerated) gingival states.
• To assess host-material interactions and the effects of oral care formulations under physiological flow conditions.

Main Methods:

• Development of a vertically stacked microfluidic device for long-term air-liquid interface culture of gingival equivalents.
• Dynamic culture conditions to promote epithelial morphogenesis and barrier integrity.
• Modeling of diseased states and emulation of mouth rinsing actions using apical flow.

Main Results:

• Dynamic cultures on-chip yielded gingival equivalents with enhanced mucosal matrix stability, epithelial morphogenesis, and barrier features compared to static cultures.
• The system successfully modeled gingival/oral mucosal ulcers, demonstrating disrupted barrier function.
• Simulated mouth rinsing revealed increased tissue disruption and cytotoxicity in gingiva-on-chip models, indicating a more realistic assessment of mucosal irritation potential.

Conclusions:

• The developed gingiva-on-chip system enables the biofabrication of human gingival equivalents in both healthy and ulcerated states.
• This microphysiological platform offers a miniaturized and integrated approach for studying host-material and host-microbiome interactions in oral mucosa research.
• The system provides a more physiologically relevant method for evaluating the safety and efficacy of oral care products.