Bone-on-a-chip for osteoporotic bone metastasis
2024
Dongguk University, Goyang, South Korea
In this study, a bone-on-a-chip system was developed to replicate the human bone microenvironment. The chip was fabricated using soft silicone molding and featured distinct vascular and bone compartments. Osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts were co-cultured within a fibrin-based extracellular matrix, using specific cell ratios to model normal, osteopenic, and osteoporotic conditions. Mineralization and cell morphology were assessed using calcein staining and image analysis. Vascular permeability was also evaluated. To simulate bone metastasis, breast cancer cells were introduced, and their migration was tracked. The results showed that metastasis was most active under osteoporotic conditions, correlating with increased vascular permeability. This bone-on-a-chip system provides a promising platform for drug testing and for studying the mechanisms underlying bone diseases and metastasis.
Bone-on-a-chip simulating bone metastasis in osteoporosis
Bong Seop Kwak
Added on: 05-15-2025
[1] https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1758-5090/ad6cf9