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Updated: Mar 13, 2026

A Lab-On-A-Chip Platform for Stimulating Osteocyte Mechanotransduction and Analyzing Functional Outcomes of Bone Remodeling

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Published on: May 21, 2020

Bone Multicellular Unit on a Chip (BMU-Chip) Subjected to Cyclic Mechanical Loading.

Anna-Blessing Merife¹, Michael P Seitz¹, Angelika Polshikova¹

¹Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Syracuse University,Syracuse, New York 13244, United States.

ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering

|March 11, 2026

Summary

Researchers developed a novel microfluidic "BMU-chip" to study bone remodeling. This platform allows detailed observation of cell interactions and responses to mechanical loading, advancing skeletal mechanoadaptation research.

Keywords:

bone multicellular unit coculture cyclic mechanical stimuli in vitro model microfluidic device osteoblasts osteoclasts osteocytes

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Area of Science:

Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
Cellular and Molecular Biology
Skeletal Biology

Background:

Bone remodeling is essential for skeletal integrity, involving the Bone Multicellular Unit (BMU).
Understanding cellular interactions within the BMU under mechanical stress is crucial for skeletal health.
Existing methods limit longitudinal investigation of complex BMU dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

To design and develop a microfluidic BMU-chip platform for studying cell-matrix interactions during bone remodeling.
To investigate the response of osteocytes, osteoblasts, and osteoclasts to cyclic mechanical loading in a controlled environment.
To enable longitudinal, real-time observation of skeletal mechanoadaptation processes.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of a three-chambered polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic chip using 3D printing and soft lithography.
Seeding murine osteocytes (OCY454) in collagen gel, followed by introduction of preosteoblastic (MC3T3-E1.4) and preosteoclastic (Raw264.7) cells.
Application of Pulsed Unidirectional Fluid Flow Stimuli (PUFFS) to the osteocyte network and evaluation over 31 days using live-cell microscopy.

Main Results:

The BMU-chip demonstrated excellent cell viability and maintained lacunocanalicular morphology.
Cells expressed specific phenotypic markers, and Ca2+ signal propagation was observed in the osteocyte network.
The platform facilitated longitudinal investigation of cellular responses to mechanical loading.

Conclusions:

The BMU-chip is a viable microfluidic platform for studying skeletal mechanoadaptation.
This model allows for the investigation of complex cellular interactions within the bone remodeling unit.
The platform offers a novel approach to studying aspects of skeletal biology not feasible with current methods.