Intestine-on-a-chip for intestinal disease study and pharmacological research

Intestinal diseases seriously affect the quality of life. The assays for intestinal disease study based on two-dimensional in vitro cell culture and animal models fail to model human physiology and pathophysiology accurately. As a bridge between in vitro cell culture and clinical pathological specimens, intestine-on-a-chip lined with living cells under dynamic flow can recapitulate the human intestinal microenvironment with high precision. Here, we summarize important elements for reconstructing the intestinal microenvironment and the mostly used intestine-on-a-chip models that simulate the basic intestinal microenvironment, and the intestinal microenvironment with pathogenic bacteria, probiotic bacteria, viruses, tumor cells, and parasites. We also introduce the commonly used analytical techniques, including immunofluorescence imaging, mass spectrometry, DNA/RNA-based analysis, and electrochemistry, which can be integrated with intestine chips for intestinal microenvironment characterization. We further review the application of intestine-on-a-chip for intestinal disease study and pharmacological research. Finally, we discuss the application prospects and challenges of intestine chips in biomedical and clinical research.

Automated summary

Intestinal diseases have a significant impact on quality of life. Traditional methods of studying intestinal diseases using cell culture and animal models are not accurate representations of human physiology and pathophysiology. Intestine-on-a-chip, which mimics the human intestinal microenvironment, is a promising tool for studying intestinal diseases. This review summarizes the key elements of reconstructing the intestinal microenvironment, the different models of intestine-on-a-chip, and the commonly used analytical techniques for studying the intestinal microenvironment.