Translational cell fate reprogramming and regenerative medicine enabled by microphysiological systems.

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Biotechnology
• Stem Cell Biology

Background:

• Genetic engineering and in vivo reprogramming offer new ways to control cell fate for tissue repair.
• Traditional animal and in vitro models often fail to predict human responses to genetic manipulation.
• Microphysiological systems like organoids and organs-on-chips (OoCs) better mimic human physiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review how organoids and OoC platforms are used to study and enhance cell fate reprogramming, repair, and regeneration.
• To highlight how these systems inform gene and cell therapy development.
• To discuss limitations and future directions for regenerative medicine.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing three-dimensional organoids derived from various human cell sources.
• Employing organs-on-chips (OoCs) platforms with controlled microenvironments.
• Analyzing studies that integrate these systems with genetic and cell-based therapies.

Main Results:

• Organoids preserve patient-specific genetics for disease and therapy studies.
• OoCs provide regulated perfusion, vascularization, and mechanical forces for tissue maturation.
• These platforms facilitate mechanistic studies and evaluation of gene/cell therapies in a human-relevant context.

Conclusions:

• Organoids and OoCs are crucial for advancing regenerative medicine and personalized therapies.
• Overcoming limitations in scalability, standardization, and biomaterials is key for clinical translation.
• Integrating these technologies promises more predictive and effective regenerative strategies.