Microphysiological pancreas-on-chip platform with integrated sensors to model endocrine function and metabolism

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Endocrinology
• Microfluidics

Background:

• * Pancreatic in vitro research is crucial for understanding diabetes mellitus.
• * Current models often lack the complexity of the native pancreatic microenvironment.
• * Need for advanced systems for mechanistic studies and therapeutic development.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To develop a thermoplastic-based microphysiological system for modeling the endocrine pancreas.
• * To enable real-time monitoring of islet function and insulin secretion.
• * To assess the platform's utility for drug testing and long-term tissue viability.

Main Methods:

• * Self-guided trapping of single islets and assembly into pseudo-islets.
• * Embedding pseudo-islets in ECM-like hydrogels within a microfluidic chip.
• * Integration of luminescence-based optical sensors for real-time oxygen monitoring.
• * Automated glucose stimulation and time-resolved insulin secretion analysis.
• * Assessment of antidiabetic medications and integration of human pancreatic islet microtissues.

Main Results:

• * Successful modeling of pancreatic islet structure and function.
• * Real-time, non-invasive monitoring of oxygen levels and insulin secretion kinetics.
• * Demonstrated ability to assess drug effects on insulin secretion.
• * Preservation of long-term functionality of human pancreatic islet microtissues.

Conclusions:

• * The developed microphysiological system accurately models the endocrine pancreas.
• * Offers real-time read-out capabilities for mechanistic studies and drug screening.
• * Provides a flexible and robust platform for advancing diabetes research.