Issue 31, 2020

From cells-on-a-chip to organs-on-a-chip: scaffolding materials for 3D cell culture in microfluidics

Abstract

It is an emerging research area to integrate scaffolding materials in microfluidic devices for 3D cell culture (organs-on-a-chip). The technology of organs-on-a-chip holds the potential to obviate the gaps between pre-clinical and clinical studies. As accumulating evidence shows the importance of extracellular matrix in in vitro cell culture, significant efforts have been made to integrate 3D ECM/scaffolding materials in microfluidics. There are two families of materials that are commonly used for this purpose: hydrogels and electrospun fibers. In this review, we briefly discuss the properties of the materials, and focus on the various technologies to obtain the materials (e.g. extraction of collagen from animal tissues) and to include the materials in microfluidic devices. Challenges and potential solutions of the current materials and technologies were also thoroughly discussed. At the end, we provide a perspective on future efforts to make these technologies more translational to broadly benefit pharmaceutical and pathophysiological research.

Graphical abstract: From cells-on-a-chip to organs-on-a-chip: scaffolding materials for 3D cell culture in microfluidics

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
15 Marts 2020
Accepted
12 Jūn. 2020
First published
12 Jūn. 2020

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2020,8, 6667-6685

From cells-on-a-chip to organs-on-a-chip: scaffolding materials for 3D cell culture in microfluidics

J. A. Terrell, C. G. Jones, G. K. M. Kabandana and C. Chen, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2020, 8, 6667 DOI: 10.1039/D0TB00718H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements