A novel multicellular organ-on-a-chip platform for high-throughput screening of urothelial responses

This study presents a urothelium-on-a-chip platform, an advanced microfluidic system designed to replicate the physiological environment of the bladder’s urothelium. This platform facilitates the co-culture of multiple cell types, specifically human urothelial (SV-HUC) and fibroblast (Hs27) cells, effectively simulating the urothelial layer of the bladder. The urothelium-on-a-chip system consists of three insert modules for cultivating SV-HUC and Hs27 cells interlinked through microfluidic channels. Following fabrication, the functionality of the microfluidic channels and the biocompatibility of the chip were evaluated using fluorescence diffusion assays and live/dead assays under dynamic conditions. Cells were cultured under dynamic flow conditions to enhance the interactions between substances across the insert modules. The fluorescence diffusion assay confirmed that the microfluidic channels connecting the culture inserts function properly. The live/dead assay demonstrated high cell viability during co-culture, with 98.27% viability for SV-HUC cells and 99.65% for Hs27 cells. These outcomes further validate the platform’s suitability for long-term culture under dynamic conditions. These findings indicate that the urothelium-on-a-chip platform holds significant potential for effectively mimicking urothelial conditions and serves as a valuable model for studying urothelial diseases. Future advancements, such as incorporating additional cell types and biomechanical forces, could further enhance its applicability for simulating bladder urothelium.