Microfluidic Organ/Body-on-a-Chip Devices at the Convergence of Biology and Microengineering

Sensors

Ana Rubina Perestrelo²  Ana C. P. Águas³  Alberto Rainer¹  Giancarlo Forte² 

[1] Tissue Engineering Unit, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome 00128, Italy;;International Clinical Research Center (ICRC), Integrated Center of Cellular Therapy and Regenerative Medicine (ICCT), St. Anne’s University Hospital, Brno 656 91, Czech RepublicCenter for Biomedical Research, University of Algarve, Faro 8005-139, Portugal;

关键词: microfluidics;    BioMEMs;    organ-on-a-chip;    body-on-a-chip;    tissue engineering;   

DOI  :  10.3390/s151229848

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Recent advances in biomedical technologies are mostly related to the convergence of biology with microengineering. For instance, microfluidic devices are now commonly found in most research centers, clinics and hospitals, contributing to more accurate studies and therapies as powerful tools for drug delivery, monitoring of specific analytes, and medical diagnostics. Most remarkably, integration of cellularized constructs within microengineered platforms has enabled the recapitulation of the physiological and pathological conditions of complex tissues and organs. The so-called “organ-on-a-chip” technology, which represents a new avenue in the field of advanced in vitro models, with the potential to revolutionize current approaches to drug screening and toxicology studies. This review aims to highlight recent advances of microfluidic-based devices towards a body-on-a-chip concept, exploring their technology and broad applications in the biomedical field.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.