Microfluidic white paper - A guide to Organs-on-Chips technology

I. What are „Organs-on-chips“ (OoC)?

1. Definition
2. Applications

II. Why use OoC models?

1. „Breaking the in vitro impasse“
2. An alternative to animal models – 3R principle
3. Advantages of OoC models
4. Technical challenges

III. What are the current OoC technologies available?

1. Materials used for OoC devices
2. OoC layouts classically used to recreate organ functions
3. Perfusion systems to deliver physiological flow
4. Mechanical stimulation
5. Readouts and sensors of physiological responses

IV. What kind of cells are used to create OoC?

1. Cell lines
2. Primary cells from human donors
3. Human iPS (induced pluripotent stem cells)
4. Fragmented Organoids
5. Human biopsies

V. What are the current single OoC models available?

1. Example 1: Lung-on-a-chip – The first OoC
2. Example 2: Gut-on-a-chip
3. Example 3: Tumor-on-a-chip

VI. How to combine several OoC to create a „body-on-chip“?

1. Multiplexing of single OoC
2. Multiple organs into a single plate (multi-OoC plates)
3. Challenges of the multi-OoC field

VII. Applications of OoC in academia and pharmaceutical industry

1. Towards an OoC rather than an in vitro validation experiment?
2. Drug development (Efficacy and Safety)
3. Pre-clinical ADME-Tox assay
4. Personalized medecine

VIII. Conclusion

References