Organ on a Chip is a Physiological Organ Biomimetic System built on a Microfluidic Chip, one of the Leading Emerging Technologies.

 

Organ on a Chip

Organ-on-a-chip is a new micro-engineered system that comprises a 3D polymeric microchannel holding live human cells and microfluidic culture equipment. A functional tissue type or organ is produced as a result of a certain cell arrangement, resulting in a 3D microenvironment. Depending on the application, a single chamber system (one kind of cell) can be employed, or porous membranes can be used to divide the micro-channels into two or more compartments, allowing multiple cell types to coexist with independent fluidic perfusion. By adjusting the flow rate or channel size, micro sensors may regulate numerous factors such as chemical conditions (pH, oxygen supply) and physical conditions (fluidic shear stress).

The majority of Organ-on-a-Chip systems wrap the adipocytes or ASCs within the chip with a biomaterial; nonetheless, the chip's material is crucial. High-throughput screening methods are required for pharmacologic testing. This will necessitate the usage of enormous numbers of chips, as well as data that can be replicated across time and between laboratories. As a result, a low-cost, easy-to-obtain, easy-to-process, and replicable material for creating in vitro therapeutic testing devices is required. Because of its adjustable elastic characteristics, cheap cost, minimal autofluorescence, biocompatibility, optical clarity, and facile moldability, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is commonly utilised.

The organ-on-a-chip (OOAC) is a physiological organ biomimetic system constructed on a microfluidic chip that is among the top 10 emerging technologies. The milieu of the chip mimics that of the organ in terms of tissue interactions and mechanical stimulation, thanks to a mix of cell biology, engineering, and biomaterial technologies. This represents the structural and functional properties of human tissue and may be used to anticipate how people will react to a variety of stimuli, including medication reactions and environmental influences. Precision medicine and biological defence methods both benefit from OOAC. From the standpoint of several organs, we present the ideas of OOAC and discuss its application to the design of physiological models, drug development, and toxicology.

External and internal cell conditions must be controlled in culture systems. External factors may be controlled and physiological conditions can be precisely simulated using OOAC in conjunction with micromachining and cell biology. On the chip, dynamic mechanical stress, fluid shear, and concentration gradients are all necessary. To accurately portray physiological processes, cell patterning should also be accomplished.

Silicone is utilised to construct these devices, which can be used to develop internal organs. This can be used in both organ transplantation and treatments. The Wyss Institute at Harvard is working on developing lung-on-chips, which if commercialised will enable the organ-on-a-chip market grow exponentially. Furthermore, biotech and pharmaceutical businesses' collaborations with universities are likely to speed up the commercialization process in the near future. This multibillion-dollar business is likely to provide participants with enormous market prospects. Some firms, such as Mimetas, are now working on kidney-on-a-chip technology. This approach is gaining favour since it significantly minimises the quantity of animal testing while yet producing very precise findings.