Lung-on-a-chip

Huh et al. developed the first polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidic system for culturing primary diseased small airway epithelial cells at the air-liquid interface (ALI).

[2] The first LoC, published in the June 25, 2010, issue of Science, was developed by Dan Huh and Donald E. Ingber at the Wyss Institute using a microfabrication technique called soft lithography, which was pioneered by George M. Whitesides.

The device is made using human lung and blood vessel cells and it can predict absorption of airborne nanoparticles and mimic the inflammatory response triggered by microbial pathogens.

Since the introduction of LoCs in 2010, numerous advancements have been made to develop valid, functional, and clinically relevant models.

The main issue with PDMS is its adsorption properties, which lead to unrealistic ADME and, consequently, inaccurate pharmacokinetics analysis.

Schematic drawing of a lung-on-a-chip. The membrane in the middle can be stretched by vacuum in the two side chambers.