Refining Host-Pathogen Interactions: Organ-on-Chip Side of the Coin

Bioinspired organ-level in vitro platforms that recapitulate human organ physiology and organ-specific responses have emerged as effective technologies for infectious disease research, drug discovery, and personalized medicine. A major challenge in tissue engineering for infectious diseases has been the reconstruction of the dynamic 3D microenvironment reflecting the architectural and functional complexity of the human body in order to more accurately model the initiation and progression of host-microbe interactions. By bridging the gap between in vitro experimental models and human pathophysiology and providing alternatives for animal models, organ-on-chip microfluidic devices have so far been implemented in multiple research areas, contributing to major advances in the field. Given the emergence of the recent pandemic, plug-and-play organ chips may hold the key for tackling an unmet clinical need in the development of effective therapeutic strategies. In this review, latest studies harnessing organ-on-chip platforms to unravel host-pathogen interactions are presented to highlight the prospects for the microfluidic technology in infectious diseases research.

Automated summary

Bioinspired organ-level in vitro platforms, particularly organ-on-chip microfluidic devices, have emerged as effective technologies for infectious disease research, drug discovery, and personalized medicine. By bridging the gap between in vitro experimental models and human pathophysiology, these platforms offer alternatives for animal models and contribute to major advances in various research areas. The recent development of plug-and-play organ chips may hold promise for addressing unmet clinical needs in the development of effective therapeutic strategies, particularly in the context of host-pathogen interactions.