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Biomimetic Urethra-on-a-Chip Platform for Modelling Fibrosis: 3D-Printing and Near-Field Electrospinning in
Jiafu Liu1,2, Wenzhuo Fang1, Kai Wang3
1Department of Urology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, P. R. China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|February 10, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a novel urethra-on-a-chip model to study urethral stricture fibrosis. This biomimetic platform accurately replicates urethral tissue complexity, offering a new tool for drug screening and understanding disease mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
- Urology
Background:
- Urethral stricture, marked by periurethral fibrosis, significantly impairs urinary function and quality of life.
- Frequent recurrence of urethral stricture highlights the need for advanced in vitro models for research and drug development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a biomimetic urethra-on-a-chip platform that recapitulates the native urethral microenvironment.
- To establish a physiologically relevant model for investigating urethral fibrosis mechanisms and screening antifibrotic therapies.
Main Methods:
- Integration of microfluidics, 3D printing, and near-field electrospinning to create a multi-layered microfluidic device.
- Utilized polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels and a polycaprolactone (PCL) membrane functionalized with bladder acellular matrix (BAM)-gelatin bioink.
- Employed a bilayer microchamber for co-culturing fibroblasts and urothelial cells under dynamic perfusion to simulate physiological conditions.
Main Results:
- The platform successfully mimicked urethral fibrosis, including fibroblast activation and epithelial injury, upon stimulation with transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1).
- Rapamycin treatment demonstrated efficacy in attenuating fibrotic responses within the model, validating its use for pharmacological testing.
- The developed system showed robustness, reproducibility, and cost-efficiency in modeling urethral fibrosis.
Conclusions:
- The urethra-on-a-chip platform provides a sophisticated and reliable model for studying urethral stricture and fibrosis.
- This innovative organ-on-a-chip system holds significant potential for advancing translational research and personalized medicine in urology.
- The model serves as a valuable tool for evaluating the efficacy of antifibrotic therapeutics and accelerating drug discovery.
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