Research Highlights
Bringing the Brain to the Bench: A Microfluidic BBB Model for Tumor Interaction Studies
VitroGel® IKVAV was a key component that enabled stable vessel formation, proper cellular organization and functional BBB behavior in the 3D microfluidic model.
Category:
3D Cell Models
Subcategory/cell type:
Organ-on-a-chip/Microfluidics – Primary Human Astrocytes
Team:
Thomas DePalma, Marco Rodriguez, Luke Kollin, Kennedy Hughes, Katie Jones, Emerie Stagner, Monica Venere, and Aleksander Skardal
Institutions:
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University
Hydrogel:
VitroGel® IKVAV (Cat. No: TWG007)
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) presents a major challenge in neuro-oncology and CNS drug development due to its highly selective nature, which restricts the passage of most therapeutic agents into the brain. Traditional in vitro BBB models often fall short in mimicking the complex cellular and extracellular environment of the human brain, limiting their ability to predict how diseases like glioblastoma (GB) disrupt barrier function. To address this gap, researchers set out to engineer a physiologically relevant 3D microfluidic BBB model capable of capturing the dynamic interplay between brain endothelial cells, pericytes, astrocytes, and tumor cells.
A key to their success was the integration of VitroGel® IKVAV into the model’s ECM scaffold. Earlier hydrogel formulations lacked either the mechanical stability or the bioactivity required to support the full range of BBB cell types. The inclusion of VitroGel® IKVAV enhanced cellular adhesion, promoted astrocyte stellate morphology, and supported endothelial tight junction formation.
This bioengineered matrix enabled the creation of perfusable vessels that remained functional for over 10 days, exhibiting low small-molecule permeability and physiological immune cell responses. The system also sensitively captured GB-induced BBB changes, revealing population-specific effects on barrier permeability and immune cell recruitment.
