Refining Host-Pathogen Interactions: Organ-on-Chip Side of the Coin

Abstract

Bioinspired organ-level in vitro platforms that recapitulate human organ physiology and organ-specific responses have emerged as effective technologies for infectious disease research, drug discovery, and personalized medicine. A major challenge in tissue engineering for infectious diseases has been the reconstruction of the dynamic 3D microenvironment reflecting the architectural and functional complexity of the human body in order to more accurately model the initiation and progression of host-microbe interactions. By bridging the gap between in vitro experimental models and human pathophysiology and providing alternatives for animal models, organ-on-chip microfluidic devices have so far been implemented in multiple research areas, contributing to major advances in the field. Given the emergence of the recent pandemic, plug-and-play organ chips may hold the key for tackling an unmet clinical need in the development of effective therapeutic strategies. In this review, latest studies harnessing organ-on-chip platforms to unravel host-pathogen interactions are presented to highlight the prospects for the microfluidic technology in infectious diseases research.

Keywords: host-microbe interactions; infectious disease; microfluidics; organ-on-chip; therapeutics.

Figure 1

Current applications of organ chips in infectious diseases.

Figure 2

Tracking of host colonization and stages of biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa on human small airway chip. (a) Airway infection at 1 h post infection as bacteria attach to airway mucociliary epithelium; (b) bacterial cells trapped in mucus at initial attachment on ciliated epithelial cells; (c) fully developed biofilm with exopolysaccharide matrix at 24 h is shown (used with permission from Emulate, Inc.).