Kim Raehyun, Sung Jong Hwan
Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Hongik University, Sejong 30016, Republic of Korea.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Hongik University, Seoul 04066, Republic of Korea.
Biomicrofluidics. 2024 Jun 26;18(3):031507. doi: 10.1063/5.0206271. eCollection 2024 May.
The low success rate of new drugs transitioning from animal testing to human clinical trials necessitates the development of more accurate and representative models. Recent advances in multi-organ-on-a-chip technology offer promising avenues for studying complex organ-organ interactions. Gut-liver-on-a-chip systems hold particular promise for mimicking the intricate interplay between the gut and liver, which play crucial roles in nutrient absorption, drug metabolism, detoxification, and immune response. Here, we discuss the key components of the gut-liver axis, including the gut epithelium, liver cells, gut microbiota, and their roles in the organ functions. We then explore the potential of gut-liver-on-a-chip models to replicate the intricate interactions between the two organs for pharmacokinetic studies and their expansion to more complicated multi-organ models. Finally, we provide perspectives and future directions for developing more physiologically relevant gut-liver-axis models for more efficient drug development, studying liver diseases, and personalizing treatment strategies.
新药从动物试验过渡到人体临床试验的成功率较低，因此需要开发更准确、更具代表性的模型。多器官芯片技术的最新进展为研究复杂的器官间相互作用提供了有前景的途径。肠-肝芯片系统在模拟肠道和肝脏之间复杂的相互作用方面具有独特的前景，肠道和肝脏在营养吸收、药物代谢、解毒和免疫反应中起着关键作用。在这里，我们讨论肠-肝轴的关键组成部分，包括肠道上皮、肝细胞、肠道微生物群及其在器官功能中的作用。然后，我们探讨肠-肝芯片模型在复制两个器官之间复杂相互作用以进行药代动力学研究以及将其扩展到更复杂的多器官模型方面的潜力。最后，我们为开发更具生理相关性的肠-肝轴模型提供观点和未来方向，以实现更高效的药物开发、研究肝脏疾病以及个性化治疗策略。
