Engineering Organ-on-a-Chip Systems for Vascular Diseases

Abstract

Vascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis and thrombosis, are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Traditional in vitro models for studying vascular diseases have limitations, as they do not fully recapitulate the complexity of the in vivo microenvironment. Organ-on-a-chip systems have emerged as a promising approach for modeling vascular diseases by incorporating multiple cell types, mechanical and biochemical cues, and fluid flow in a microscale platform. This review provides an overview of recent advancements in engineering organ-on-a-chip systems for modeling vascular diseases, including the use of microfluidic channels, ECM (extracellular matrix) scaffolds, and patient-specific cells. We also discuss the limitations and future perspectives of organ-on-a-chip for modeling vascular diseases.

Keywords: endothelial cells; hemodynamics; microfluidics; microphysiological systems; vascular diseases.

Figure 1.. Schematic illustration of the advanced microfluidic chips for vascular disease modeling and personalized medicine application.

OOC models provide advantages in incorporating various cells, simulating rheological factors, and mimicking pathological microenvironments towards the construction of vascular disease models for investigating pathogenesis of the disease, drug development, and personalized medicine.

Figure 2.. Vascular disease on a chip

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