Constant-rate perfused array chip for high-throughput screening of drug permeability through brain endothelium.

The development of an model for predicting drug permeability through the human blood-brain barrier (BBB) will greatly accelerate the development of neural therapy. Previously reported platforms for BBB model construction cannot meet the requirements of constant-rate and high-throughput flow, as well as compatibility with the commercial meter for real-time transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurement. Herein, a constant-rate perfused array chip (cPAC) was developed to establish a brain endothelium model for screening drug permeability.

Functional Evaluation and Nephrotoxicity Assessment of Human Renal Proximal Tubule Cells on a Chip.

An in vitro human renal proximal tubule model that represents the proper transporter expression and pronounced epithelial polarization is necessary for the accurate prediction of nephrotoxicity. Here, we constructed a high-throughput human renal proximal tubule model based on an integrated biomimetic array chip (iBAC). Primary human renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (hRPTECs) cultured on this microfluidic platform were able to form a tighter barrier, better transporter function and more sensitive nephrotoxicity prediction than those on the static Transwell.

Chitosan Oligosaccharides Regulate the Occurrence and Development of Enteritis in a Human Gut-On-a-Chip.

Past studies on the protective effects of chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) commonly rely on animal models, because traditional cell culture systems couldn't faithfully mimic human intestinal physiology. Here a novel human gut-on-a-chip microsystem was established to further explore the regulatory effects of COS on the occurrence and development of human enteritis. By constructing an intestinal injury model caused by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) on the chip, this study proved that COS can reduce intestinal epithelial injury by promoting the expression of the mucous layer for the first time.

Establishment and Application of Peristaltic Human Gut-Vessel Microsystem for Studying Host-Microbial Interaction.

Intestinal floras influence a lot of biological functions of the organism. Although animal model are strong tools for researches on the relationship between host and microbe, a physiologically relevant human gut model was still required. Here, a novel human gut-vessel microfluidic system was established to study the host-microbial interaction.

Inhibition of Liver Tumor Cell Metastasis by Partially Acetylated Chitosan Oligosaccharide on A Tumor-Vessel Microsystem.

Chitooligosaccharides (COS), the only cationic oligosaccharide in nature, have been demonstrated to have anti-tumor activity. However, the inhibitory effects of COS on different stages of tumor metastasis are still unknown, and it is not clear what stage(s) of tumor metastasis COS targeted. To study the inhibitory effects of a new partially acetylated chitooligosaccharide (paCOS) with fraction of acetylation (F) 0.

Establishment and application of a dynamic tumor-vessel microsystem for studying different stages of tumor metastasis and evaluating anti-tumor drugs.

Tumor metastasis is one of the main causes of cancer-related death, and it is difficult to study the whole process of tumor metastasis due to the complex physiological environment in the body. Therefore, it's crucial to develop simple and physiologically relevant cancer models to study the metastasis process, especially different phases of tumor metastasis. A novel microfluidic tumor-vessel co-culture system was established to reproduce the different phases of cancer metastasis (proliferation, migration, intravasation and adherence) individually for the first time.