Polymeric and biological membranes for organ-on-a-chip devices

Abstract

Membranes are fundamental elements within organ-on-a-chip (OOC) platforms, as they provide adherent cells with support, allow nutrients (and other relevant molecules) to permeate/exchange through membrane pores, and enable the delivery of mechanical or chemical stimuli. Through OOC platforms, physiological processes can be studied in vitro, whereas OOC membranes broaden knowledge of how mechanical and chemical cues affect cells and organs. OOCs with membranes are in vitro microfluidic models that are used to replace animal testing for various applications, such as drug discovery and disease modeling. In this review, the relevance of OOCs with membranes is discussed as well as their scaffold and actuation roles, properties (physical and material), and fabrication methods in different organ models. The purpose was to aid readers with membrane selection for the development of OOCs with specific applications in the fields of mechanistic, pathological, and drug testing studies. Mechanical stimulation from liquid flow and cyclic strain, as well as their effects on the cell’s increased physiological relevance (IPR), are described in the first section. The review also contains methods to fabricate synthetic and ECM (extracellular matrix) protein membranes, their characteristics (e.g., thickness and porosity, which can be adjusted depending on the application, as shown in the graphical abstract), and the biological materials used for their coatings. The discussion section joins and describes the roles of membranes for different research purposes and their advantages and challenges.

Heart-on-a-chip systems: disease modeling and drug screening applications

“…146,147 Porous and/or permeable membranes may also incorporated into the HoC system to help establish the necessary gradients and model chemical transport through a barrier. 146,148 For instance, PET membranes can be sandwiched between two PDMS chips to allow for cross-talk between upper and lower channels. 149 PDMS can also serve as a membrane to control oxygen levels given its excellent gas permeability.…”

Recent Advances in Electrospinning Techniques for Precise Medicine

“…Sufficient porosity allows for paracrine signalings and penetration of metabolic products. On the other hand, while the large pores (dozens or hundreds of micrometers) facilitate the infiltration and growth of seeded cells, the tiny pores (micro/nanometers) serve to prevent the migration of cells into undesired regions [ 181 ]. Therefore, the porous membrane with varied pore sizes is necessary for OOCs.…”

Streamlining the highly reproducible fabrication of fibrous biomedical specimens towards standardization and high throughput

“…3 Furthermore, ongoing research investigates their potential in other medical applications such as wound coverings, 4 drug release, 5 as well as in the development of lab-and organon-a-chip devices. 6,7 Additionally, electrostatic spinning methods prove highly suitable for diverse technical applications due to the high surface-to-volume ratio of thin bers and their remarkable porosity.…”