Author Spotlight: Developing Immunocompetent Organ-on-Chip Models for Infectious Disease Research

Our research focuses on the development and use of immunocompetent organ-on-chip platforms. By creating these physiologically relevant, humanized in vitro models, we are able to study the complex host-pathogen interaction. The knowledge we create can be used to manipulate and identify molecular targets for the therapy of infectious diseases.

One key challenge is maintaining a living microbiota under homeostatic conditions alongside host tissue in vitro. This includes replicating the organotypic 3D topography of crypt and villus structures and their microbial colonization. Intestine-on-chip platforms address this by using flow to shape the organotypic structures and prevent bacterial overgrowth.

This ensures stable culture conditions. Compared to other available intestine-on-chip platforms, our model enables the detailed study of the human immune response to pathogens due to the inclusion of primary tissue-resident immune cells. Additionally, the model size enables multiple readouts in one single experiment, reducing the overall cost and number of experiments.

Our laboratory is focusing on using induced pluripotent stem cells to develop autologous systems that enable personalized medicine.