Vascularized tissue-on-a-Chip Platforms for modeling human vasculature-related diseases

Hong Nam Kim^*

Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea

^*hongnam.kim@kist.re.kr

Abstract

Various testing models, including plastic dish-cultured cells, small animals, and large animals, have been extensively used as alternative models for humans in drug development. However, cell culture models lack physiological relevance, and animal models exhibit inherent genetic heterogeneity with humans. As a result, the efficacy of drug candidates may be exaggerated, or their toxicity underestimated. In this regard, bioengineers have developed human-organ-mimetic testing models. In this presentation, the human-organ-mimetic organ-on-a-chip model is presented with a particular focus on the vascular-tissue interaction. Vascularized tissue models can mimic the cellular composition and functional aspects of human organs, as well as the microenvironment of tissues, including flow, mechanical properties, and molecular transport. By using the vascularized tissue-on-a-chip model, various diseases can be modeled, such as blood-brain barrier (BBB)-associated diseases, cancer therapy, and infection-associated vascular disruption. Additionally, vascularized platforms can be used for transplantation purposes to facilitate rapid and effective tissue regeneration. It is envisioned that the vascularized tissue models can address the unmet needs of human-organ-specific testing platforms and thus help the drug development process.

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