Current progress ofin vitrovascular models on microfluidic chips.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Vascular Biology
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Vascular tissue is vital for physiological functions, and its pathologies pose significant health concerns.
• Human-derived vascular models are increasingly emphasized over animal models due to cost and translatability.
• Microfluidic technology enables sophisticated in vitro vascular models that mimic the in vivo hemodynamic environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in microfluidic vascular models, focusing on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) soft lithography.
• To discuss template design, construction methods, and applications of these models.
• To explore refined methodologies addressing limitations of conventional PDMS techniques.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) soft lithography for microfluidic chip fabrication.
• Two primary construction approaches: direct vascular wall structure replication and hydrogel co-culture for microvascular networks.
• Reviewing and discussing existing literature on microfluidic vascular model development.

Main Results:

• PDMS-based microfluidic vascular models can effectively replicate vascular tissue structure and establish microvascular networks.
• These models offer a faster and more human-relevant alternative to traditional animal models for vascular research.
• Advancements in template design and construction methods are enhancing model sophistication.

Conclusions:

• Microfluidic vascular models, particularly those using PDMS soft lithography, are powerful tools for vascular research.
• Refined methodologies are improving the capabilities and applications of these in vitro systems.
• This technology holds significant potential for advancing vascular tissue engineering on microfluidic chips.