Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SMD-SPH (Development of scalable microfluidic device for drug testing using humanized adipose tissue spheroids)
Période du rapport: 2021-12-01 au 2023-11-30
To replace animal testing, it is important to develop microphysiological systems and ‘body-on-chip’ approaches at a reasonable cost. Yet, most current bioreactors in tissue engineering are expensive, designed for organ transplant and poorly designed for miniaturization and scale-up. Furthermore, organoid production faces critical challenges such as small-scale, high costs and reproducibility. Currently, the scientific literature has been arguing that the convergence of organoids and microfluidic technologies to overcome these limitations. Specifically, microfluidics technologies can work as bioreactors, reducing labor hours and cost by supporting automated systems and low volume of reagents.
The main objective of this study was to develop a microfluidic bioreactor for organoid mass production. To reached this, we accomplish the following specific objectives:
- a bioreactor design containing hundreds of individual chambers for organoids;
- 3D simulations to analyze the microfluidic flow and the nutrients reaching the organoids inside the individual chambers;
- microfabrication of the bioreactor prototype based on hot embossing technology (Sublym) using a biocompatible polymer (Flexdym). Sublym and Flexdym are registered technologies from Eden Tech.
- seeding of human adipose-tissue derived stem/stromal cells (ASCs) in the microchannels of the bioreactor to form individual organoids inside each individual chamber;
- viability and adipogenesis assays to attest the functionality of ASC organoids.
- the bioreactor was made from flexdym, a thermoplastic, opening a perspective of a large-scale production based on injection molding;
- cell suspension was seeded using a syringe through a unique inlet, opening a perspective of cell seeding automation;
- the cost of fat organoids production represents only 15% compared with traditional cell culture plates.