Fluid flow is an integral part of microfluidic and organ-on-chip technology, ideally providing biomimetic fluid, cell, and nutrient exchange as well as physiological or pathological shear stress. Currently, many of...

Modeling immunity in vitro has the potential to be a powerful tool for investigating fundamental biological questions, informing therapeutics and vaccines, and providing new insight into disease progression. There are two major elements to immunity that are necessary to model: primary immune tissues and peripheral tissues with immune components. Here, we systematically review progress made along three strategies to modeling immunity: ex vivo cultures, which preserve native tissue structure; microfluidic devices, which constitute a versatile approach to providing physiologically relevant fluid flow and environmental control; and engineered tissues, which provide precise control of the 3D microenvironment and biophysical cues. While many models focus on disease modeling, more primary immune tissue models are necessary to advance the field. Moving forward, we anticipate that the expansion of patient-specific models may inform why immunity varies from patient to patient and allow for the rapid comprehension and treatment of emerging diseases, such as coronavirus disease 2019. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, Volume 23 is June 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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Resin 3D printing is attractive for fabrication of microscale cell-culture devices, but common resin materials are unstable and toxic under cell culture conditions or extended periods of fluid flow. Here, we evaluated the effectiveness of using parylene-C coating of commercially available clear resins to prevent cytotoxic leaching, degradation of microfluidic devices, and absorption of small molecules. We found that parylene-C significantly improved both the cytocompatibility with primary white blood cell cultures and the material integrity of prints, while maintaining the favorable optical qualities held by clear resins.