134957 20260217205531.0 doi 10.3390/biomimetics9050262 sideral 138496 ART-2024-138496 eng Olaizola-Rodrigo, Claudia Reducing Inert Materials for Optimal Cell–Cell and Cell–Matrix Interactions within Microphysiological Systems 2024 Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted In the pursuit of achieving a more realistic in vitro simulation of human biological tissues, microfluidics has emerged as a promising technology. Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) devices, a product of this technology, contain miniature tissues within microfluidic chips, aiming to closely mimic the in vivo environment. However, a notable drawback is the presence of inert material between compartments, hindering complete contact between biological tissues. Current membranes, often made of PDMS or plastic materials, prevent full interaction between cell types and nutrients. Furthermore, their non-physiological mechanical properties and composition may induce unexpected cell responses. Therefore, it is essential to minimize the contact area between cells and the inert materials while simultaneously maximizing the direct contact between cells and matrices in different compartments. The main objective of this work is to minimize inert materials within the microfluidic chip while preserving proper cellular distribution. Two microfluidic devices were designed, each with a specific focus on maximizing direct cell–matrix or cell–cell interactions. The first chip, designed to increase direct cell–cell interactions, incorporates a nylon mesh with regular pores of 150 microns. The second chip minimizes interference from inert materials, thereby aiming to increase direct cell–matrix contact. It features an inert membrane with optimized macropores of 1 mm of diameter for collagen hydrogel deposition. Biological validation of both devices has been conducted through the implementation of cell migration and cell-to-cell interaction assays, as well as the development of epithelia, from isolated cells or spheroids. This endeavor contributes to the advancement of microfluidic technology, aimed at enhancing the precision and biological relevance of in vitro simulations in pursuit of more biomimetic models. info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/PID2021-126051OB-C41 info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/T62-230R info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/778354/EU/Heart On chip based on induced pluripotent Stem cell Technology for personalized Medicine/CISTEM This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No H2020 778354-CISTEM info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/876190/EU/Accelerating Innovation in Microfabricated Medical Devices/Moore4Medical This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No H2020 876190-Moore4Medical info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/DIN2020-011544 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es 3.9 2024 ENGINEERING, MULTIDISCIPLINARY 31 / 179 = 0.173 2024 Q1 T1 MATERIALS SCIENCE, BIOMATERIALS 30 / 55 = 0.545 2024 Q3 T2 0.647 2024 Biotechnology 2024 Q2 Biomedical Engineering 2024 Q2 Molecular Medicine 2024 Q3 Bioengineering 2024 Q3 Biochemistry 2024 Q3 Biomaterials 2024 Q3 4.2 2024 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Castro-Abril, Héctor Perisé-Badía, Ismael (orcid)0009-0000-2837-9014 Pancorbo, Lara Ochoa, Ignacio Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0003-2410-5678 Monge, Rosa Oliván, Sara Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0003-0156-4230 1003 443 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Anatom.Histolog.Humanas Area Histología 9, 5 (2024), 262 [19 pp.] Biomimetics 2313-7673 13921084 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/134957/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 2618919 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/134957/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:134957 articulos driver 2026-02-17-20:32:25 ARTICLE