A Conformable Organic Electronic Device for Monitoring Epithelial Integrity at the Air Liquid Interface

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Epithelial Biology
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Air-liquid interface (ALI) epithelial barriers are crucial for nutrient transport and immune defense.
• Dysfunction in these barriers is linked to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
• Current electrical monitoring methods are limited by rigid electrodes and non-physiological conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a flexible, all-planar electronic device for monitoring ALI epithelial barrier function.
• To assess the device's compatibility with human respiratory and intestinal cells at ALI.
• To validate the device's performance against existing methods and explore its application in disease diagnostics and drug screening.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a flexible all-planar electronic sensor.
• Application of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and equivalent circuit models.
• Interrogation of patient-derived ALI epithelial cell samples.
• Validation against commercial chopstick electrodes and investigation of electrode size effects.

Main Results:

• The flexible sensor successfully monitored barrier formation and perturbations in human respiratory and intestinal cells.
• Disease-specific and patient-specific signatures were identified using EIS.
• The device demonstrated superior conformability, sensitivity, and biocompatibility compared to existing methods.
• A significantly smaller cut-off sensing area was established, improving efficiency.

Conclusions:

• This work presents a novel, physiologically relevant sensor for real-time, localized monitoring of epithelial barrier function at ALI.
• The developed technology has broad applications in toxicology, drug screening, and personalized medicine.
• The sensor offers a more compatible and sensitive approach to studying epithelial barrier health in various biological contexts.