Engineered Vasculature for Organ-on-a-Chip Systems
Abdellah Aazmi,
Hongzhao Zhou,
Yuting Li,
Mengfei Yu,
Xiaobin Xu,
Yutong Wu,
Liang Ma,
Bin Zhang,
Huayong Yang
Affiliations
Abdellah Aazmi
State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Hongzhao Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Yuting Li
State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Mengfei Yu
The Affiliated Stomatologic Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
Xiaobin Xu
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China
Yutong Wu
State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Liang Ma
State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Corresponding authors.
Bin Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Huayong Yang
State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Corresponding authors.
Organ-on-a-chip technology, a promising three-dimensional (3D) dynamic culture method, ensures accurate and efficient cell culture and has great potential for replacing animal models in preclinical testing. The circulatory system, the most abundant organ in the human body, plays a crucial role in oxygen exchange and mass transfer, which is the determining factor for the survival of tissues and organs. Thus, it is essential to integrate the circulatory system into an organ-on-a-chip to recreate tissue and organ microenvironments and physiological functions. This review discusses the synergy between the vasculature and the emerging organ-on-a-chip technology, which offers even better possibilities of duplicating physiology and disease characteristics. In addition, we review the different steps of a vascularized organ-on-a-chip fabrication process, including structure fabrication and tissue construction using different biofabrication strategies. Finally, we outline the applicability of this technology in the fascinating and fast-developing field of organ and tumor culture.