3D In Vitro Tissue and Organ Models

Dear Colleagues,

We use animal models to test medications to improve human health (in vivo or preclinical applications), though animal organisms are not identical to human ones, whose responses can only be evaluated in clinical testing. Studies in academia and the pharmaceutical industry have consistently shown that preclinical animal models for drug research have failed. In fact, the failure rates of animal experiments are as high as 90%, as a result of both ineffectiveness and safety issues when testing the drugs in human clinical trials. Recapitulating physiologically significant human organ and tissue functions in vitro, therefore, becomes crucial for the development of new therapeutics and life-saving innovations. In vitro organ models can be used as substitutes for human organ transplants (ex vivo applications) and as alternatives to animal models for toxicology testing. Worldwide, the scientific community is focusing on advancing new technologies for tissue engineering, cell biology, 3D printing, and microfluidics to overcome the problems associated with existing in vitro models. Undeniably, creative design concepts and the inclusion of the developmental and cellular biology of the target tissues or organs are moving us closer to this ultimate goal. In addition, developments in material science for the manufacture of scaffolds or microfluidic systems using specific techniques are contributing significantly to the reconstitution of cellular microenvironments for whole organs or functional human tissue units. Many in vitro human models, however, require further improvement, refinement, and/or validation to be considered as functional substitutes of tissues for drug testing that will replace preclinical animal studies or of organs for transplantation.

This Special Issue welcomes your submission of research manuscripts and review articles that are related to advancements in the fields of tissue engineering, cell biology, material sciences and nanoscience and address the current challenges in the development of in vitro human tissue and organ models.

Dr. Nur Mustafaoglu
Prof. Vasif Hasirci
Dr. Ken Takahashi
Dr. Menekse Ermis
Guest Editors

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