Cited by 1343D Printing in Biomedical ResearchTissue Engineering and Regenerative MedicineMicrofluidic and Capillary Electrophoresis Applications

On being the right size: scaling effects in designing a human-on-a-chip

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Moraes, Christopher, Labuz, Joseph M., Leung, Brendan M., Inoue, Mayumi, Chun, Tae-Hwa, Takayama, Shuichi·2013·Integrative Biology

Abstract

Developing a human-on-a-chip by connecting multiple model organ systems would provide an intermediate screen for therapeutic efficacy and toxic side effects of drugs prior to conducting expensive clinical trials. However, correctly designing individual organs and scaling them relative to each other to make a functional microscale human analog is challenging, and a generalized approach has yet to be identified. In this work, we demonstrate the importance of rational design of both the individual organ and its relationship with other organs, using a simple two-compartment system simulating insulin-dependent glucose uptake in adipose tissues. We demonstrate that inter-organ scaling laws depend on both the number of cells and the spatial arrangement of those cells within the microfabricated construct. We then propose a simple and novel inter-organ 'metabolically supported functional scaling' approach predicated on maintaining in vivo cellular basal metabolic rates by limiting resources available to cells on the chip. This approach leverages findings from allometric scaling models in mammals that limited resources in vivo prompt cells to behave differently than in resource-rich in vitro cultures. Although applying scaling laws directly to tissues can result in systems that would be quite challenging to implement, engineering workarounds may be used to circumvent these scaling issues. Specific workarounds discussed include the limited oxygen carrying capacity of cell culture media when used as a blood substitute and the ability to engineer non-physiological structures to augment organ function, to create the transport-accessible, yet resource-limited environment necessary for cells to mimic in vivo functionality. Furthermore, designing the structure of individual tissues in each organ compartment may be a useful strategy to bypass scaling concerns at the inter-organ level.

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. [73]Lo JF Sinkala E Eddington DT Lab Chip 2010 10 3291 3295 20938500
  2. [77]Ross SM Journal of Engineering Technology 2003 38 41
  3. [81]Peterson DR eLS John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 2001

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Authors
Moraes, C., Labuz, J. M., Leung, B. M., Inoue, M., Chun, T.-H., & Takayama, S.
Affiliations
  • University of Michigan (US)
  • Michigan Medicine (US)
Corresponding author
Takayama, Shuichi
Venue
Integrative Biology
Published
2013
Volume
5
Issue
9
Pages
1149
ISSN
  • 1757-9694 (ISSN-L)
  • 1757-9708
OpenAlex
W2038998535
Cited by
134
References
86
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 1
FWCI
7.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Integrative Biology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Scholarworks@UNIST (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R21HL106332)
  • National Cancer Institute (CA 170198, R01CA170198)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (GM 096040, R01GM096040)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R03DK091433, R01DK095137, P30DK020572)
  • National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (T32EB005582)
  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (T32DE007057)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › 3D Printing in Biomedical Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Microfluidic and Capillary Electrophoresis Applications
Keywords
human-on-a-chip, allometric scaling, adipose tissue, basal metabolic rate, resource constraints, oxygen-carrying capacity, blood substitutes, tissue engineering, drug screening, organ-on-a-chip
MeSH terms
Adipose Tissue, Basal Metabolism, Computer Simulation, Glucose, Humans, Tissue Engineering, Biomimetics

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