Microphysiological Systems as Organ-Specific In Vitro Vascular Models for Disease Modeling

• Published in: Biochip journal Vol. 18; no. 3; pp. 345 - 356
• Main Authors: Nam, Ungsig, Lee, Seokhun, Ahmad, Ashfaq, Yi, Hee-gyeong, Jeon, Jessie S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul The Korean BioChip Society (KBCS) 01.09.2024; Springer Nature B.V; 한국바이오칩학회
• Subjects: Animal models; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biotechnology; Blood vessels; Cell culture; Cell differentiation; Cell interactions; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Differentiation (biology); Disease; Endothelium; Extracellular matrix; Human tissues; Microenvironments; Modelling; Morphology; Nutrients; Permeability; Physiology; Research methodology; Review Article; Stem cells; Toxicity; Vascular system; 생물공학; In vitro model; Microfluidic chip; Bioprinting; Microphysiological system; In vitro vascular model
• ISSN: 1976-0280; 2092-7843
• DOI: 10.1007/s13206-024-00152-4

The vascular system, essential for human physiology, is vital for transporting nutrients, oxygen, and waste. Since vascular structures are involved in various disease pathogeneses and exhibit different morphologies depending on the organ, researchers have endeavored to develop organ-specific vascular models. While animal models possess sophisticated vascular morphologies, they exhibit significant discrepancies from human tissues due to species differences, which limits their applicability. To overcome the limitations arising from these discrepancies and the oversimplification of 2D dish cultures, microphysiological systems (MPS) have emerged as a promising alternative. These systems more accurately mimic the human microenvironment by incorporating cell interactions, physical stimuli, and extracellular matrix components, thus facilitating enhanced tissue differentiation and functionality. Importantly, MPS often utilize human-derived cells, greatly reducing disparities between model and patient responses. This review focuses on recent advancements in MPS, particularly in modeling the human organ-specific vascular system, and discusses their potential in biological adaptation.