A bone-on-a-chip device containing mini scaffolding can be used to grow human bone tissue in the laboratory. New medical treatments for human organs and bone tissue can be tested, and the need for animal research reduced, with the system devised by an international team of researchers.

The microfluidic bone-on-a-chip platform incorporates 3D polymer scaffold structures which resemble real bone. The structures are developed using polymerized high internal phase emulsion, based on an oil that solidifies under ultraviolet light to form a porous plastic material, and emulsion templating techniques. Microfluidic The assembled chip with a £1 (GBP) coin for scale. Source: Hossein Bahmaee et alchannel formation in the porous material improves the simulation of the natural 3D environment of cells relative to standard microfluidic systems.

Researchers from University of Sheffield (U.K.), University of Nottingham (U.K.), Eden Microfluidics (France) and Universitat Ramon Llull (Spain) inserted the scaffolds into a mini bioreactor to create the bone-on-a-chip device and applied in vitro techniques to assess its potential to grow human bone tissue from human embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells. Cells respond positively to both chemical and mechanical stimulation of osteogenesis over periods of up to 21 days. When combined with intermittent rest periods, the shear stresses the cells were exposed to during a 3.2 mL/min flow rate demonstrated potential to promote osteogenic differentiation.

The device described in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology offers scope to improve pharmaceutical pre-clinical testing by increasing throughput and minimizing cost and ethical concerns associated with in vivo evaluation.