Engineering vascularised organoid-on-a-chip: strategies, advances and future perspectives

In recent years, advances in microfabrication technology and tissue engineering have propelled the development of a novel drug screening and disease modelling platform known as organoid-on-a-chip. This platform integrates organoids and organ-on-a-chip technologies, emerging as a promising approach for in vitro modelling of human organ physiology. Organoid-on-a-chip devices leverage microfluidic systems to simulate the physiological microenvironment of specific organs, offering a more dynamic and flexible setting that can mimic a more comprehensive human biological context. However, the lack of functional vasculature has remained a significant challenge in this technology. Vascularisation is crucial for the long-term culture and in vitro modelling of organoids, holding important implications for drug development and personalised medical approaches. This review provides an overview of research progress in developing vascularised organoid-on-a-chip models, addressing methods for in vitro vascularisation and advancements in vascularised organoids. The aim is to serve as a reference for future endeavors in constructing fully functional vascularised organoid-on-a-chip platforms.