Micro- and nano-fibers for organ-on-a-chip: Construction, applications, and prospects

Abstract

Organ-on-a-chip, an in vitro biomimetic microsystem that enables precise regulation and real-time observation of the cell microenvironment, has the potential to become a powerful platform for recapitulating the real microenvironment of organs in vitro. Microenvironmental factors, such as living cells, three-dimensional (3D) culture, tissue–tissue interfaces, and biomechanical factors, are important cues in the construction of biomimetic microsystems. It is important to provide an appropriate 3D culture environment for living cells to grow. Fibers, particularly microfibers and nanofibers, can provide a suitable 3D culture environment for living cells via surface adhesion or internal loading. In addition, fibers can further expand their applications in tissue engineering and biomedical research by being assembled at a higher level in various ways to create functional 3D tissues or organs with more complex structures. The use of fiber to construct an organ-on-a-chip, whether as a 3D scaffold for cell culture or to more closely mimic real tissues/organs, will introduce new ideas and strategies for developing novel organ-on-a-chip systems. Based on this context, this review summarizes the research progress in the construction and applications of micro/nanofibers for organ-on-a-chip systems. It outlines the preparation methods and material selections for micro/nanofibers and provides a detailed overview of their respective strategies for cell 3D culture and organ-on-a-chip construction. This review also highlights the main research findings and applications of micro/nanofiber in this field, which have significant implications for future practice, and finally concludes by examining potential directions for future development.