Advances in Ophthalmic Organ-on-a-Chip Models: Bridging Translational Gaps in Disease Modeling and Drug Screening
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe recent breakthrough in restoring vision in humans using stem-cell transplants reflects the need of further study in the field of ophthalmology. The review article “Advances in Ophthalmic Organ-on-a-chip Models: Bridging Translational Gaps in Disease Modeling and Drug Screening” by Renhao Lu can serve as a pathfinder for the researchers working in the area by highlighting cutting-edge developments in microengineering techniques, cellular integration, and disease-specific applications. The gaps, challenges and future directions towards the translation of the preclinical platforms. The flow of the manuscript is very well thought of, starting with the corneal and retinal anatomy to throwing light on their contemporary literatures, followed by the translational applications of cornea and retina-on-a-chip. Finally touching up on the limitations and their regulatory validations to be certain about the intervention’s safety makes an interesting conclusion for the reader.
In my opinion the author has done a good job of putting together all the important and relevant topics in the manuscript. I think it would be of interest to the readers had the author discussed something about the limbal cells or limbal stem cell deficiency which is a valued part of the cornea and also one of the causes of blindness. The article itself is sufficient for publication, please feel free to include or not the limbal cell part in the review article.
Author Response
The recent breakthrough in restoring vision in humans using stem-cell transplants reflects the need of further study in the field of ophthalmology. The review article “Advances in Ophthalmic Organ-on-a-chip Models: Bridging Translational Gaps in Disease Modeling and Drug Screening” by Renhao Lu can serve as a pathfinder for the researchers working in the area by highlighting cutting-edge developments in microengineering techniques, cellular integration, and disease-specific applications. The gaps, challenges and future directions towards the translation of the preclinical platforms. The flow of the manuscript is very well thought of, starting with the corneal and retinal anatomy to throwing light on their contemporary literatures, followed by the translational applications of cornea and retina-on-a-chip. Finally touching up on the limitations and their regulatory validations to be certain about the intervention’s safety makes an interesting conclusion for the reader.
In my opinion the author has done a good job of putting together all the important and relevant topics in the manuscript. I think it would be of interest to the readers had the author discussed something about the limbal cells or limbal stem cell deficiency which is a valued part of the cornea and also one of the causes of blindness. The article itself is sufficient for publication, please feel free to include or not the limbal cell part in the review article.
Response: We sincerely thank the reviewer for their thoughtful and encouraging feedback on our manuscript. We greatly appreciate the suggestion to include a discussion on limbal cells and limbal stem cell deficiency, which indeed play a crucial role in corneal physiology and pathology.
While we did not find Organ-on-a-Chip platforms that currently incorporate limbal cells, we agree that this represents an important area for future exploration. In light of this, we have added a discussion in the Future Directions section, emphasizing the potential for integrating limbal cells into cornea-on-a-chip models to better address conditions such as limbal stem cell deficiency and its translational relevance.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis review examines the current advancements in organ-on-a-chip technology for ophthalmology, focusing on cornea and retina platforms. It highlights the design and structure of these devices and their ability to replicate the microenvironment and functions of ocular tissues.
The review offers valuable insights into the use of organ-on-a-chip models in translational applications such as drug screening, disease modeling, and personalized medicine. It effectively illustrates how these platforms bridge the gap between laboratory research and clinical practice by showcasing notable examples.
I accept the review without any changes, as it has been able to effectively address the technical challenges and translational barriers that must be overcome to fully realize the potential of these models in clinical applications.
A minor point - Provide a reference for the following sentence "Retinal organoids, derived from human pluripotent stem cells, contain various retinal cell types and form complex, multilayered structures that resemble the human retina."
Author Response
This review examines the current advancements in organ-on-a-chip technology for ophthalmology, focusing on cornea and retina platforms. It highlights the design and structure of these devices and their ability to replicate the microenvironment and functions of ocular tissues.
The review offers valuable insights into the use of organ-on-a-chip models in translational applications such as drug screening, disease modeling, and personalized medicine. It effectively illustrates how these platforms bridge the gap between laboratory research and clinical practice by showcasing notable examples.
I accept the review without any changes, as it has been able to effectively address the technical challenges and translational barriers that must be overcome to fully realize the potential of these models in clinical applications.
A minor point - Provide a reference for the following sentence "Retinal organoids, derived from human pluripotent stem cells, contain various retinal cell types and form complex, multilayered structures that resemble the human retina."
Response: We sincerely thank the reviewer for their thoughtful and encouraging feedback on our manuscript. Regarding the quoted sentence, we confirm that this information was cited from Achberger et al. (2019) and we have added the reference to the revised manuscript
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe manuscript provides an insightful review of the advancements in ophthalmic organ-on-a-chip (OoC) models, focusing on their role in bridging translational gaps in disease modeling and drug screening. The paper is well-structured and covers critical aspects of the field, making it a valuable contribution to ophthalmic research. Considering the rapid development in this field, nevertheless, the article can still be revised and improved to some extent, with appropriate expansion.
1. A deeper dive into the specific technologies and materials used in developing these OoC models could enhance the reader's understanding of their construction and functionality.
2. Providing the accurate summary figures for Chapters 2 and 3 would be more beneficial than including a list of case studies.
3. Include more examples where OoC models have been effective in drug development or disease research to support their practical use.
4. Although the manuscript addresses future challenges, a more in-depth discussion on potential solutions and the future direction of OoC technologies in ophthalmology would offer researchers a clearer roadmap.
Author Response
The manuscript provides an insightful review of the advancements in ophthalmic organ-on-a-chip (OoC) models, focusing on their role in bridging translational gaps in disease modeling and drug screening. The paper is well-structured and covers critical aspects of the field, making it a valuable contribution to ophthalmic research. Considering the rapid development in this field, nevertheless, the article can still be revised and improved to some extent, with appropriate expansion.
- A deeper dive into the specific technologies and materials used in developing these OoC models could enhance the reader's understanding of their construction and functionality.
Response: Thank you for your valuable suggestion. In response, we have expanded the manuscript to include detailed discussions of the specific technologies and materials used in the development of major organ-on-a-chip models in the section 2.2 and 3.2.
- Providing the accurate summary figures for Chapters 2 and 3 would be more beneficial than including a list of case studies.
Response: Thank you for your insightful comment. In the revised manuscript, we have updated the figures for Chapters 2 and 3 to include not only sample case studies but also comprehensive summary illustrations.
- Include more examples where OoC models have been effective in drug development or disease research to support their practical use.
Response: We thank the reviewer for highlighting the need to strengthen the discussion on the effectiveness of organ-on-a-chip models in drug development and disease research. We have expanded the discussion in the relevant sections to emphasize the translational impact of these platforms, including section 2.3 and 3.3.
- Although the manuscript addresses future challenges, a more in-depth discussion on potential solutions and the future direction of OoC technologies in ophthalmology would offer researchers a clearer roadmap.
Response: Thank you for your constructive feedback. We have revised the manuscript to provide a more detailed discussion of the current limitations and future directions for both corneal and retinal organ-on-a-chip technologies in section 2.4 and 3.4.
