Issue 1, 2024

Fabrication of sac-like hydrogel membranes for replicating curved tissue barriers on chips

Abstract

Current organ-on-a-chip (OOC) systems cannot mimic in vivo tissue barriers that feature curved geometries and rhythmic movement. This is due to the lack of a relevant membrane that can reproduce the natural biochemical and physical properties of a basement membrane, especially the characteristic sac-like structure possessed by multiple tissue barriers. To address this challenge, a sac-like hydrogel membrane is fabricated here using a one-step simple methodology inspired by soap bubble formation. Di-acrylated Pluronic® F127 (F127-DA) is a hydrogel that exhibits excellent mechanical properties, stably withstanding rhythmic mechanical stretching and fluid flow for at least 24 h. Using this hydrogel to make a membrane, a complex lung-on-a-chip device is successfully constructed, effectively replicating the alveolar-capillary barrier and demonstrating cellular function under physiological respiratory conditions. This membrane offers a crucial platform for replicating sac-like tissue barriers.

Graphical abstract: Fabrication of sac-like hydrogel membranes for replicating curved tissue barriers on chips

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
23 Sep 2023
Accepted
15 Nov 2023
First published
20 Nov 2023

Lab Chip, 2024,24, 85-96

Fabrication of sac-like hydrogel membranes for replicating curved tissue barriers on chips

W. She, C. Shen, Y. Ying and Q. Meng, Lab Chip, 2024, 24, 85 DOI: 10.1039/D3LC00807J

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