Microfluidic high-throughput 3D cell culture

Abstract

High-throughput 3D microfluidic cell culture systems can be designed to model aspects of human tissues and organs and may thus serve as non-clinical evaluation tools. They benefit from large-scale production, high throughput, compatibility with automated equipment, standardized analysis and the generation of physiologically relevant results. In this Review, we discuss how microfluidic devices can be designed with different biological complexity, cell sources and cell configurations, as well as physiological parameters to mimic human tissues. We examine standardization, scalability and automation strategies, and outline high-throughput data generation and analysis approaches to interpret readouts of microfluidic 3D cell culture models. Finally, we explore the potential of these tools as non-clinical testing systems for drug development and outline key future challenges in device design and application. Microfluidic 3D cell culture platforms may serve as tools for the modelling of human tissues. This Review discusses the design, standardization and automation of such systems for non-clinical drug evaluation and investigation of disease.