Porous Polymeric Nanofilms for Recreating the Basement Membrane in an Endothelial Barrier-on-Chip.

ABSTRACT: Organs-on-chips (OoCs) support an organotypic human cell culture in vitro. Precise representation of basement membranes (BMs) is critical for mimicking physiological functions of tissue interfaces. Artificial membranes in polyester (PES) and polycarbonate (PC) commonly used in in vitro models and OoCs do not replicate the characteristics of the natural BMs, such as submicrometric thickness, selective permeability, and elasticity. This study introduces porous poly(d,l-lactic acid) (PDLLA) nanofilms for replicating BMs in in vitro models and demonstrates their integration into microfluidic chips. Using roll-to-roll gravure coating and polymer phase separation, we fabricated transparent ∼200 nm thick PDLLA films. These nanofilms are 60 times thinner and 27 times more elas

SUBMITTER: Mancinelli E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10941076 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature