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An ultrathin membrane mediates tissue-specific morphogenesis and barrier function in a human kidney chip.

Xingrui MouJessica ShahYasmin RoyeCarolyn DuSamira Musah
Published in: Science advances (2024)
Organ-on-chip (OOC) systems are revolutionizing tissue engineering by providing dynamic models of tissue structure, organ-level function, and disease phenotypes using human cells. However, nonbiological components of OOC devices often limit the recapitulation of in vivo-like tissue-tissue cross-talk and morphogenesis. Here, we engineered a kidney glomerulus-on-a-chip that recapitulates glomerular morphogenesis and barrier function using a biomimetic ultrathin membrane and human-induced pluripotent stem cells. The resulting chip comprised a proximate epithelial-endothelial tissue interface, which reconstituted the selective molecular filtration function of healthy and diseased kidneys. In addition, fenestrated endothelium was successfully induced from human pluripotent stem cells in an OOC device, through in vivo-like paracrine signaling across the ultrathin membrane. Thus, this device provides a dynamic tissue engineering platform for modeling human kidney-specific morphogenesis and function, enabling mechanistic studies of stem cell differentiation, organ physiology, and pathophysiology.
Keyphrases
  • induced pluripotent stem cells
  • pluripotent stem cells
  • endothelial cells
  • tissue engineering
  • high throughput
  • high glucose
  • oxidative stress
  • high efficiency
  • drug induced
  • high density
  • stress induced