Anagrafe della ricerca

Organ-on-Chip (OoC) technology provides advanced instruments for bioengineers and biologists due to its small scale, potentially suitable for recapitulating the intricate micro-environment of human tissues in a controlled and tunable manner. OoC platforms are usually fabricated from raw materials obtained from non-renewable sources thus slowing the transition to truly green and sustainable manufacturing processes and materials in the biomedical field. GREEN-MID-PLACE refers to the implementation of a microfluidic dynamic model for stem cell growth and differentiation, characterized by being eco-sustainable from the processing and materials point of view. The manufacturability of bio-based polymers in subtractive (laser ablation) processes will be systematically explored and mapped. The whole fabrication routs of the OoC will involves other eco-friendly techniques such as flat-die extrusion, dry chemistry surface etching and low-temperature thermal sealing of the layers. The microfluidic platform designed via CAD software and optimized via CFD analysis. Controllable micropumps will offer the right spatiotemporal chemical and physical environment as well as the mechanical stimuli for human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) growth and differentiation towards bone or adipose tissue. The OoC design will consist of two culture chambers separated by a 2D or 3D biopolymeric scaffold specifically designed to be co-cultured with BMSC and endothelial cells. The scaffold fabrication protocols will compare or combine different materials and processing techniques such as electrospinning, electrowriting, and 3D bioprinting in order to find the best solution for the cell cultures. Furthermore, innovative direct deposition approaches into the OoC platform will be implemented in order to avoid the use of solvents and adhesive (additional materials), minimizing the need for operators handling to drastically simplify production (thus saving energy) and avoiding contamination issues, frequently observed in conventional manufacturing The "green" OoC platforms will be tested as a potential tool for studying the cellular mechanisms related to osteoporosis diseases and testing new potential compounds for the prevention and treatment of the osteoporotic process. In particular, the effect of polyphenols in the microfluidic system will be compared with the effect of polyphenols on BMSC differentiation in static conditions in order to validate the dynamic system efficacy resulting in a new potential tool with potential impact on the prevention and treatment of the osteoporotic process. Therefore, the potential applications of GREEN-MID-PLACE include biological sample handling, analyte sensing cell-based assay, tissue engineering, molecular diagnostics, drug screening, and personalized medicine.