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Organ-on-a-Chip Platforms for Drug Delivery Systems

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A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomimetic Design, Constructions and Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 November 2023) | Viewed by 5531

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Amir Seyfoori

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Guest Editor

Laboratory for Innovations in Micro Engineering (LiME), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
Interests: organs-on-a-chip; 3D biopriniting; tumor organoids; drug delivery; tissue engineering; immunotherapy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the ever-increasing prevalence of life-threatening diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological disorders, there is an unmet need to develop new therapeutic systems with significantly better clinical outcomes. However, the drug development process has failed to develop new drugs because it relies on conventional two-dimensional in vitro assays and basic animal models that are unable to fully recapitulate the critical characteristics of human pathophysiology. On the other hand, the development of complex disease models that enhance and modify the function of monolayer and static cell cultures with a better delineation of the microphysiological environment of human tissue has been a critical challenge in biomedical research. Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) devices are platforms that have been significantly developed over the last decade to propose a solution to the current problems in the field of new therapeutic system assessments. These platforms can mimic the dynamic microenvironment of the different tissues through the combination of microfluidics and cell culture, enabling the biomimicked systems to evaluate the efficacy of various drug delivery systems including nano- and microdelivery platforms. The current Special Issue plans to cover the state-of-the-art organ-on-a-chip systems for modeling and monitoring different diseases as well as assessing the functionality and efficacy of novel drug delivery systems, including single and multitherapeutic approaches. This Special Issue will also focus on novel OoC systems that provide a multiplex platform for analyzing the localized drug transportation function and efficacy against any specific diseases.

Dr. Amir Seyfoori
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomimetics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

tumor-on-a-chip
organs-on-a-chip
organoids
microfluidic
microphysiological systems
localized drug delivery
multidrug delivery
micro-/nanocarriers

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2557 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Microphysiological Model to Mimic the Placental Remodeling during Early Stage of Pregnancy under Hypoxia-Induced Trophoblast Invasion

by Seorin Jeong, Ahmed Fuwad, Sunhee Yoon, Tae-Joon Jeon and Sun Min Kim

Biomimetics 2024, 9(5), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9050289 - 12 May 2024

Viewed by 395

Abstract

Placental trophoblast invasion is critical for establishing the maternal–fetal interface, yet the mechanisms driving trophoblast-induced maternal arterial remodeling remain elusive. To address this gap, we developed a three-dimensional microfluidic placenta-on-chip model that mimics early pregnancy placentation in a hypoxic environment. By studying human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) under oxygen-deprived conditions upon trophoblast invasion, we observed significant HUVEC artery remodeling, suggesting the critical role of hypoxia in placentation. In particular, we found that trophoblasts secrete matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) proteins under hypoxic conditions, which contribute to arterial remodeling by the degradation of extracellular matrix components. This MMP-mediated remodeling is critical for facilitating trophoblast invasion and proper establishment of the maternal–fetal interface. In addition, our platform allows real-time monitoring of HUVEC vessel contraction during trophoblast interaction, providing valuable insights into the dynamic interplay between trophoblasts and maternal vasculature. Collectively, our findings highlight the importance of MMP-mediated arterial remodeling in placental development and underscore the potential of our platform to study pregnancy-related complications and evaluate therapeutic interventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Organ-on-a-Chip Platforms for Drug Delivery Systems)

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15 pages, 6513 KiB

Open AccessArticle

3D-Printed Tumor-on-a-Chip Model for Investigating the Effect of Matrix Stiffness on Glioblastoma Tumor Invasion

by Meitham Amereh, Amir Seyfoori, Briana Dallinger, Mostafa Azimzadeh, Evan Stefanek and Mohsen Akbari

Biomimetics 2023, 8(5), 421; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8050421 - 11 Sep 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1600

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) tumor progression has been recognized to be correlated with extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness. Dynamic variation of tumor ECM is primarily regulated by a family of enzymes which induce remodeling and degradation. In this paper, we investigated the effect of matrix stiffness on the invasion pattern of human glioblastoma tumoroids. A 3D-printed tumor-on-a-chip platform was utilized to culture human glioblastoma tumoroids with the capability of evaluating the effect of stiffness on tumor progression. To induce variations in the stiffness of the collagen matrix, different concentrations of collagenase were added, thereby creating an inhomogeneous collagen concentration. To better understand the mechanisms involved in GBM invasion, an in silico hybrid mathematical model was used to predict the evolution of a tumor in an inhomogeneous environment, providing the ability to study multiple dynamic interacting variables. The model consists of a continuum reaction–diffusion model for the growth of tumoroids and a discrete model to capture the migration of single cells into the surrounding tissue. Results revealed that tumoroids exhibit two distinct patterns of invasion in response to the concentration of collagenase, namely ring-type and finger-type patterns. Moreover, higher concentrations of collagenase resulted in greater invasion lengths, confirming the strong dependency of tumor behavior on the stiffness of the surrounding matrix. The agreement between the experimental results and the model’s predictions demonstrates the advantages of this approach in investigating the impact of various extracellular matrix characteristics on tumor growth and invasion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Organ-on-a-Chip Platforms for Drug Delivery Systems)

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Review

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24 pages, 1542 KiB

Open AccessReview

Gut-on-a-Chip Research for Drug Development: Implications of Chip Design on Preclinical Oral Bioavailability or Intestinal Disease Studies

by Joanne M. Donkers, Jamie I. van der Vaart and Evita van de Steeg

Biomimetics 2023, 8(2), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8020226 - 28 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2898

Abstract

The gut plays a key role in drug absorption and metabolism of orally ingested drugs. Additionally, the characterization of intestinal disease processes is increasingly gaining more attention, as gut health is an important contributor to our overall health. The most recent innovation to study intestinal processes in vitro is the development of gut-on-a-chip (GOC) systems. Compared to conventional in vitro models, they offer more translational value, and many different GOC models have been presented over the past years. Herein, we reflect on the almost unlimited choices in designing and selecting a GOC for preclinical drug (or food) development research. Four components that largely influence the GOC design are highlighted, namely (1) the biological research questions, (2) chip fabrication and materials, (3) tissue engineering, and (4) the environmental and biochemical cues to add or measure in the GOC. Examples of GOC studies in the two major areas of preclinical intestinal research are presented: (1) intestinal absorption and metabolism to study the oral bioavailability of compounds, and (2) treatment-orientated research for intestinal diseases. The last section of this review presents an outlook on the limitations to overcome in order to accelerate preclinical GOC research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Organ-on-a-Chip Platforms for Drug Delivery Systems)

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