Multiplexed Luminal Tissue Constructs with Reconfigurable Barriers for Dynamic Modeling of Multi‐Tissue Interactions
Source abstract
Abstract
Abstract Cell‐lined luminal structures are crucial for nutrient transport, tissue barriers, and paracrine interactions. Modeling these structures is essential for developing accurate in vitro models, but conventional systems struggle with their geometrical complexity. While recent microengineering and self‐assembly platforms have shown promise, they face limitations in throughput, equipment compatibility, and technical complexity. To address these challenges, we have developed an array of 3D tissue constructs with luminal structures that overcome current limitations. The platform employs a sacrificial micromolding technique to generate arrays of luminal structures within extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogels in a single process, improving throughput. We also incorporate a reconfigurable oil barrier between tissue compartments, enabling dynamic modeling of multi‐tissue interactions. This approach reduces fabrication complexity, increases robustness, and offers high flexibility in arranging multi‐tissue constructs. The platform allows formation of multiple luminal structures and tissue configurations, discrete compartmentalization for parallel experiments, and reconfiguration of the oil barrier to study physiological multi‐tissue interactions. By facilitating complex microtissue cultures and multi‐tissue experiments on a single device, the platform presents a promising technology for multi‐organ modeling research and drug discovery applications.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: 3D Printing in Biomedical Research · Cellular Mechanics and Interactions · Advanced Materials and Mechanics
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Biomedical Engineering University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison WI 53706 USA
Department of Biological Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA 02139 USA
Carbone Cancer Center University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison WI 53705 USA
Department of Dermatology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison WI 53705 USA
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Madison WI 53705 USA
References (72)
Show source-provided references
1. Pien N. · Cells Tis. Org. · 2021 · 211 · 420
2. 10.1016/j.cell.2024.07.01210.1016/j.cell.2024.07.012 ↗
3. Integrated Cross‐Scale Manipulation and Modulable Encapsulation of Cell‐Laden Hydrogel for Constructing Tissue‐Mimicking Microstructures | Research https://spj.science.org/doi/full/10.34133/research.0414(accessed: November 2025).
4. 10.18063/ijb.74810.18063/ijb.748 ↗
5. 10.1016/j.actbio.2019.08.01810.1016/j.actbio.2019.08.018 ↗
6. 10.1039/D0CS00705F10.1039/D0CS00705F ↗
7. 10.1002/adma.20190397510.1002/adma.201903975 ↗
8. 10.1016/j.stem.2018.02.00910.1016/j.stem.2018.02.009 ↗
9. 10.2217/rme-2016-015210.2217/rme-2016-0152 ↗
10. 10.1038/s41578-018-0034-710.1038/s41578-018-0034-7 ↗
11. 10.1038/s41576-022-00466-910.1038/s41576-022-00466-9 ↗
12. 10.1038/s41568-018-0104-610.1038/s41568-018-0104-6 ↗
13. 10.1159/00051742210.1159/000517422 ↗
14. 10.1038/s41467-017-01985-410.1038/s41467-017-01985-4 ↗
15. 10.1038/srep3158910.1038/srep31589 ↗
16. Co‐cultured microfluidic model of the airway optimized for microscopy and micro‐optical coherence tomography imaging https://opg.optica.org/boe/fulltext.cfm?uri=boe‐10‐10‐5414(accessed: January 2025).10.1364/BOE.10.005414 ↗
17. 10.1177/153537021769410010.1177/1535370217694100 ↗
18. 10.1038/s41467-017-00259-310.1038/s41467-017-00259-3 ↗
19. 10.1038/s41596-020-00490-110.1038/s41596-020-00490-1 ↗
20. 10.1073/pnas.211586711910.1073/pnas.2115867119 ↗
21. 10.1002/adhm.20230042310.1002/adhm.202300423 ↗
22. 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.05.02210.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.05.022 ↗
23. 10.1038/s41586-020-2724-810.1038/s41586-020-2724-8 ↗
24. 10.1073/pnas.122152611010.1073/pnas.1221526110 ↗
25. 10.1016/j.stem.2024.05.00710.1016/j.stem.2024.05.007 ↗
26. 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.12250410.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.122504 ↗
27. 10.3390/ijms2113480410.3390/ijms21134804 ↗
28. 10.1038/s41467-023-44427-010.1038/s41467-023-44427-0 ↗
29. 10.1002/adbi.20210108010.1002/adbi.202101080 ↗
30. 10.1126/science.abc373410.1126/science.abc3734 ↗
31. 10.1177/030098582090879410.1177/0300985820908794 ↗
32. 10.1016/j.ooc.2022.10001510.1016/j.ooc.2022.100015 ↗
33. 10.1039/D3LC00876B10.1039/D3LC00876B ↗
34. 10.1093/toxsci/kfac06110.1093/toxsci/kfac061 ↗
35. 10.1039/D1LC00067E10.1039/D1LC00067E ↗
36. 10.1002/adma.20200297410.1002/adma.202002974 ↗
37. 10.3389/fimmu.2023.111862410.3389/fimmu.2023.1118624 ↗
38. 10.1016/j.redox.2022.10248810.1016/j.redox.2022.102488 ↗
39. 10.1038/s41551-022-00882-610.1038/s41551-022-00882-6 ↗
40. 10.1038/s41598-018-22749-010.1038/s41598-018-22749-0 ↗
41. 10.1126/scitranslmed.aav138610.1126/scitranslmed.aav1386 ↗
42. 10.1038/s41598-017-14815-w10.1038/s41598-017-14815-w ↗
43. 10.1038/s41551-019-0498-910.1038/s41551-019-0498-9 ↗
44. 10.1038/s41551-019-0497-x10.1038/s41551-019-0497-x ↗
45. 10.1002/adhm.20150060810.1002/adhm.201500608 ↗
46. Wan A. M. D. · J. Vis. Exp. JoVE · 2017 · 119
47. Zhou P. · Front. Pharmacol. · 2017 · 8 · 1
48. 10.1038/s41551-024-01236-010.1038/s41551-024-01236-0 ↗
49. 10.1038/s44222-024-00163-810.1038/s44222-024-00163-8 ↗
50. 10.1038/nprot.2013.04610.1038/nprot.2013.046 ↗
51. 10.1021/acsami.8b0362710.1021/acsami.8b03627 ↗
52. 10.1200/JCO.1999.17.8.234110.1200/JCO.1999.17.8.2341 ↗
53. Kauffman M. K. · React. Oxyg. Species Apex NC · 2016 · 2 · 432
54. 10.3892/or.2020.789810.3892/or.2020.7898 ↗
55. 10.1007/s00280-016-2976-z10.1007/s00280-016-2976-z ↗
56. 10.2165/00003495-200565170-0000710.2165/00003495-200565170-00007 ↗
57. 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-260010.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-2600 ↗
58. Bischel L. L. · FASEB J. Off. Publ. Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol. · 2014 · 28 · 4583
59. 10.1371/journal.pone.024622110.1371/journal.pone.0246221 ↗
60. 10.1039/c2lc20982a10.1039/c2lc20982a ↗
61. 10.1038/s43586-022-00118-610.1038/s43586-022-00118-6 ↗
62. 10.1126/sciadv.abm801210.1126/sciadv.abm8012 ↗
63. Microfluidic tumor‐on‐a‐chip model to evaluate the role of tumor environmental stress on NK cell exhaustion | Science Advances https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.abc2331(accessed: November 2025).
64. 10.1007/s10439-011-0455-610.1007/s10439-011-0455-6 ↗
65. 10.3390/mi1407143910.3390/mi14071439 ↗
66. 10.1126/sciadv.adz080810.1126/sciadv.adz0808 ↗
67. 10.1038/s41378-025-00892-910.1038/s41378-025-00892-9 ↗
68. 10.1126/sciadv.aba962810.1126/sciadv.aba9628 ↗
69. 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.12.01210.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.12.012 ↗
70. 10.1038/s41586-024-08175-510.1038/s41586-024-08175-5 ↗
71. 10.1016/j.trac.2019.06.02310.1016/j.trac.2019.06.023 ↗
72. 10.1146/annurev.matsci.28.1.15310.1146/annurev.matsci.28.1.153 ↗