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The Fluidic Shear Stress Loading Method Enables Mechanobiological Stimulation in an On-Chip Pump-Integrated
Jin Hong Yap1, Satoshi Ishizaki1, Hiroko Nakamura2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Tokai University, 4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka 259-1292, Japan.
Micromachines
|September 27, 2025
Summary
New attachments for microphysiological systems (MPSs) enable fluidic shear stress application, enhancing cell barrier function in organ-on-a-chip models for drug development and mechanobiology research.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Cell Biology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Microphysiological systems (MPSs) like organ-on-a-chip platforms offer alternatives to animal testing for drug development.
- The BioStellar™ Plate, a commercial MPS, lacks fluidic shear stress application due to its open-top design, limiting its physiological relevance.
- Fluidic shear stress is crucial in vivo, influencing cell behavior and function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate fluidic shear stress attachments for the BioStellar™ Plate MPS platform.
- To enable controlled mechanical stimulation of cells within the MPS.
- To investigate the impact of fluidic shear stress on cell barrier function.
Main Methods:
- Designed and fabricated two fluidic shear stress attachments (FSSA-D and FSSA-I) for the BioStellar™ Plate.
- Utilized COMSOL Multiphysics for flow dynamics simulation to estimate shear stress.
- Validated attachments via fluorescent bead tracking and biological assays, including TEER measurements with Caco-2 cells.
Main Results:
- Both FSSA-D and FSSA-I attachments successfully applied controlled fluidic shear stress to cells.
- Experiments showed enhanced cell barrier function in intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2) under fluidic shear stress.
- Transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurements indicated improved barrier integrity.
Conclusions:
- The developed attachments are practical tools for applying fluidic shear stress in MPS platforms.
- These attachments advance mechanobiology research by enabling the study of shear stress effects on cells in vitro.
- The findings support the use of these attachments for more physiologically relevant drug development and research using MPS.
