Microelectromechanical Organs-on-Chip

Stemming from the convergence of tissue engineering and microfluidics, organ-on-chip (OoC) technology can reproduce in vivo-like dynamic microphysiological environments for tissues in vitro. The possibility afforded by OoC devices of realistic recapitulation of tissue and organ (patho)physiology may hold the key to bridge the current translational gap in drug development, and possibly foster personalized medicine. Here we underline the biotechnological convergence at the root of OoC technology, and outline research tracks under development in our group at TU Delft along two main directions: fabrication of innovative microelectromechanical OoC devices, integrating stimulation and sensing of tissue activity, and their embedding within advanced platforms for pre-clinical research. We conclude with remarks on the role of open technology platforms for the broader establishment of OoC technology in pre-clinical research and drug development.

Introduction

Well into its second decade of development following its formal inception [1], organ-on-chip (OoC) currently stands as a thriving biotechnological field. OoC technology, posed at the confluence of tissue engineering and micromechanics (Fig. 1), is expected to gain further momentum as well as market relevance in the short-to-midterm [2]. Demonstrations of the capability of OoC devices to reproduce physiologically representative microenvironments for tissue cultures in vitro are steadily accumulating [3]. The demonstrations are also backed by evidence of phenotypic expressions in OoC-hosted tissues which match expectations from in vivo conditions and are instead not manifested by the same tissues otherwise [4].