Biology subjects

Ingber, D. E.

Publications and source records attributed to Ingber, D. E..

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Brain shuttle target expression levels vary by individual, not by brain region, disease, age, or sex

Therapeutics fused to brain shuttles that exploit endogenous receptor-mediated transport at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) offer a promising strategy to deliver large molecule drugs and biologics to the CNS. A fundamental but untested assumption underlying their clinical development is that their endothelial receptor targets are consistently expressed between individuals and between patient populations. Here, we analyzed gene and protein expression of eleven canonical brain shuttle targets in isolated human brain microvascular endothelial cells and brain microvessels from 11 large cohorts, using single-cell and single-nucleus transcriptomics and quantitative proteomics. Expression was remarkably stable between brain regions, sexes, ages, and normal health versus four major neurodegenerative conditions, Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, Huntingtons disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, with 612 of 631 comparisons (97%) showing no significant difference. Regional heterogeneity of brain shuttle targets previously reported in rodent models was not observed in human tissue, and disease states had minimal impact in all diseases examined. In striking contrast, target abundance differed consistently among individuals in every demographic and clinical group, for all eleven targets and all data modalities. These findings establish individual receptor abundance as a critical and previously uncharacterized variable for brain shuttle translational research, including clinical trial design and patient stratification.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

Enhanced lung delivery of an immunostimulatory duplex RNA augments the antitumor activity by reshaping systemic cytokine pharmacodynamics

The organ-specific enrichment of drug delivery vehicles, such as lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), can be leveraged to concentrate drugs at disease sites to increase efficacy and limit toxicity. For immunostimulatory therapeutics, however, tissue accumulation beyond diseased sites may also shape drug activity by determining which organs and cell populations first sense the agonist and initiate downstream immune responses. Here, we show that the anticancer efficacy of an immunostimulatory duplex RNA (dsRNA) can be augmented using LNPs that are formulated to preferentially target the lung, which dictates the systemic pharmacodynamics of the cytokines it elicits. The immunostimulatory dsRNA was formulated into LNPs engineered for either enhanced liver-(LiverLNPs) or lung-(LungLNPs) based delivery, matched for size, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro potency. In mice, delivery of dsRNA in LungLNPs enhanced uptake into endothelial, epithelial, and resident immune cells populations and induced substantially higher circulating levels of type I, type III interferons and proinflammatory cytokines than dsRNA formulated in LiverLNPs. This significant systemic response induced by lung-enhanced delivery required competent retinoic acid-inducible gene I and Toll-like receptor 7 signaling. Functionally, LNPs that preferentially targeted the lungs induced significantly greater suppression of tumor growth in both subcutaneous and metastatic models of melanoma. LungLNP/dsRNA also induced cytokine secretion and inhibited tumor cell proliferation in a human lung cancer-on-a-chip model. Together, these results establish that pulmonary exposure can alter systemic pharmacodynamics and therapeutic activity of immunostimulatory RNA.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2026

Human fallopian tube-on-a-chip for preclinical testing of non-hormonal contraceptives with living human sperm

The fallopian tube serves as a sperm reservoir, and it is the site where the oocytes become fertilized. Here, we describe development of an organ-on-a-chip microfluidic model of the fallopian tube (FT Chip) lined by primary human epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts derived from the FT ampulla. Abundant tissue folds lined by hormone-responsive, epithelial cells resembling those seen in vivo formed on-chip, but not in epithelial organoids cultured in gel cultures. Comparative time-resolved analysis of human sperm versus oocyte-sized microparticles introduced into the epithelial channel in the presence of estradiol revealed that sperm movement was significantly reduced, while the oocyte-sized particles increased, relative to movements in acellular chips. When the non-hormonal contraceptive TDI-11861 was administered to the chip, dose-dependent inhibition of human sperm motility was detected. Thus, this FT Chip may offer a human preclinical tool to study FT physiology and assess the efficacy and mechanism of action of contraceptives.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Synergistic therapeutic effects of endolysin BNT331 and a Lactobacillus crispatus consortium in a human vagina chip model of bacterial vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a vaginal infection caused by an imbalance in the vaginal microbiome characterized by a decrease in healthy bacteria dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus along with a concomitant increase in dysbiotic bacteria, such as Gardnerella. Current treatments commonly fail to fully eradicate BV, and the lack of more effective therapies is due in part to the absence of relevant human models. Here, we used a human vagina-on-a-chip (Vagina Chip) microfluidic culture device that has been previously shown to faithfully recapitulate the human vaginal microenvironment as well as the inflammatory and injurious effects of G. vaginalis to test the therapeutic efficacy of a consortium of L. crispatus alone or in combination with endolysin BNT331, which specifically targets and lyses Gardnerella. These studies revealed that when L. crispatus was added alone, it suppressed inflammation even though it failed to engraft or displace the G. vaginalis bacteria. In contrast, BNT331 effectively killed Gardnerella in dysbiotic Vagina Chip. Importantly, the combined administration of both treatments resulted in restoration of a healthier vaginal microenvironment, as indicated by higher engraftment of L. crispatus on-chip, inhibition of G. vaginalis, and a reduction in inflammation. Similar effects of this combined treatment were observed when administered to Vagina Chips infected with vaginal swab samples from BV patients. These data suggest that combination of a live biotherapeutic product composed of a L. crispatus consortium with a potent antimicrobial agent that targets G. vaginalis, such as BNT331, may offer an effective therapeutic strategy for patients with BV. One Sentence SummaryEndolysin BNT331 combined with Lactobacillus crispatus reduces bacterial load and suppresses inflammation in a human vagina chip model of bacterial vaginosis.

pathology↗

bioRxiv2025

Endothelial CLK2 as a therapeutic target for acute radiation syndrome

Damage to the vascular endothelium is a major contributor to acute radiation injury in multiple organs that underlies acute radiation syndrome (ARS), yet there are no FDA-approved radiation countermeasures targeting endothelial cells. Use of kinome-scale CRISPR screens performed in cultured human vascular endothelial cells isolated from different organs identified CLK2 as a potential radioprotective target. Pharmacological inhibition of CLK2 using TG003 and Cirtuvivint protected these endothelial cells against radiation injury and reversed its effects across the transcriptome and phospho-proteome. Human Organ Chip models of human intestine and lung that contain organ-specific epithelium and microvascular endothelium faithfully replicated clinical features of ARS when exposed to radiation, which were prevented when treated with CLK2 inhibitors. Thus, CLK2 inhibitors may represent a new class of radiation countermeasure drugs that can protect multiple organs against radiation-induced toxicities in patients with ARS.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Cytokines control the physical state of immune tissue

Unlike most solid-like tissues, immune tissue is protean and reconfigurable--its component cells can patrol vast territories, find rare cellular partners, and dynamically self-organize into functional structures like germinal centers or tertiary lymphoid structures. The ability of immune cells to collectively behave as an active material that switches physical state is essential for adaptive immunity. Yet the principles governing the control of the physical properties of immune tissues, and how chemical and mechanical forms of control interplay remain obscure. Inspired by minimal immune cell components that recapitulate germinal center (GC) dynamics, we developed an agent-based model that predicted that a tissues ability to program its own physical properties governs the efficiency of antibody evolution. This motivated our search for biomolecular forms of control capable of tuning this material property. Using a tractable in vitro model, we found that CD40L-stimulated human B cells self-organize into active, liquid-like condensates that round, fuse, and internally mix. GC cytokines IL-4 and IL-21 tuned this effective temperature, driving phase transitions from cohesive, liquid-like states to dispersed, gas-like morphologies. These findings demonstrate that cytokines control tissue fluidity, suggesting a previously unrecognized biophysical form of immune regulation. Significance StatementThe bodys immune system is uniquely flexible, allowing cells to organize into temporary structures, like germinal centers or tertiary lymphoid structures, to fight intruders. How this physical flexibility is controlled is a major question. We discovered that the physical state of immune tissue is chemically programmable. We show that self-organized multicellular B cell structures behave like liquid droplets, and we used this framework to demonstrate that signals (cytokines) can modulate their physical properties. This finding identifies a new biophysical axis of immune control, suggesting the body actively tunes its tissue fluidity to optimize the immune response.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2025

Probiotic Intervention Mitigates Radiation-Induced Intestinal Injury by Alleviating Oxidative Stress in a Human Gut-on-a-chip

Gastrointestinal acute radiation syndrome (GI-ARS) poses a critical public health concern, necessitating the development of effective medical countermeasures (MCM). Here, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of a commercially available probiotic formulation using human gut-on-a-chip model that mimics physiodynamic intestinal microenvironment. Intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells were subjected to 8 Gray gamma radiation, targeting the epithelial layer, the culture medium, or both. The irradiated epithelial cells challenged to the irradiated medium resulted in significant DNA damage quantified by the presence of 53BP1 foci, increased cellular injury, and disrupted epithelial morphology. While epithelial irradiation alone did not compromise structural integrity, longitudinal exposure to irradiated medium induced oxidative stress, leading to morphological damage. Administration of the probiotic formulation significantly suppressed reactive oxygen species production, reduced epithelial damage, and preserved microarchitecture, independent of direct modulation of DNA damage. These findings suggest that probiotics may serve as promising live biotherapeutic MCM for mitigating GI-ARS in high-risk radiological exposures.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2025

Induction of cervical dysfunction associated with preterm birth by IL-1 and dysbiotic microbiome revealed in human endocervix chips

Cervical dysfunction, a major contributor to preterm labor and neonatal mortality, remains poorly understood due to the absence of physiologically relevant human models. Here, we show that a microfluidic human Endocervix Chip lined by primary endocervical epithelium interfaced with stromal cells and cultured under pregnancy-like hormonal conditions recapitulates key aspects of the biology of the endocervix, including formation of a mucus plug-like structure with antimicrobial properties. Culturing a dysbiotic cervico-vaginal microbiome on-chip increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines observed in patients with preterm labor and enhanced production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that degrade stromal extracellular matrix (ECM). Perfusion with inflammatory cytokines at clinically relevant concentrations altered cervical mucus composition, upregulated prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 expression, increased MMP secretion, and reduced collagen production, which together drive dissolution of the stromal ECM and promote cervical ripening. Addition of circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) amplified these effects. Administration of a clinically approved drug for prevention of preterm labor that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently deemed ineffective was also found to be inactive in the chip, while an approved therapeutic antagonist of the IL-1 receptor successfully protected against cervical dysfunction in this model. These findings demonstrate that IL-1 acts directly on human cervical tissues to promote changes associated with initiation of labor and that primary human endocervix chips may represent a useful preclinical model for studies on cervical dysfunction associated with preterm birth. One Sentence SummaryHuman endocervix chip modeling of cervical dysfunction suggests that IL-1 receptor antagonists may prevent preterm labor.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2025

Ex vivo recapitulation of intramuscular mRNA vaccination with naive and recall antigens using a human Lymphoid Follicle Chip platform

Predicting the efficacy and toxicity of intramuscular mRNA vaccines remains challenging. Here, we describe an ex vivo human cell-based model that replicates immune responses to lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based mRNA vaccines that require intramuscular injection. Vaccines are administered into a biomimetic muscle module containing human skeletal myoblasts and antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to mimic intramuscular vaccination, followed by transfer of the APCs and soluble factors to a microfluidic human lymphoid follicle chip (LF Chip) to mimic lymphatic drainage. Non-replicating mRNA vaccines directly induce antigen expression in APCs, whereas self-amplifying mRNA vaccines require muscle cell-APC contact within the intramuscular vaccination module. Transfer of APCs and soluble factors to the LF Chip induces LF expansion, de novo antigen-specific IgG production against a naive antigen (rabies virus glycoprotein), and cytokine release, with responses varying depending on LNP type. Vaccination of LF chips against SARS- COV-2 Spike recall antigen using the Moderna Spikevax vaccine generates neutralizing antibodies and induces somatic hypermutation. This biomimetic platform offers an all-human alternative for evaluating vaccine-induced immunity, potentially obviating the need for non-human primates and accelerating vaccine development.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2025

Shear stress targeted delivery of nitroglycerin to brain collaterals improves ischaemic stroke outcome

In patients with ischaemic stroke, retrograde perfusion of the penumbra by the leptomeningeal collateral vessels (LMCs) is a strong predictor of clinical outcome, thus raising the possibility that enhancing LMC flow could offer a novel therapeutic approach. Here, using computational modelling we show that LMCs experience elevated fluid shear stress that is significantly higher than that in other blood vessels during ischaemic stroke in animals and humans. We take advantage of this to selectively enhance flow in LMCs using shear-activated nanoparticle aggregates carrying the vasodilator nitroglycerin (NG-NPAs) that specifically release drug in regions of vessels with high shear stress ([≥]100 dyne/cm2). The NG-NPAs significantly increased LMC-mediated penumbral perfusion, decreased infarct volume, and reduced neurological deficit without altering systemic blood pressure in a rat ischaemic stroke model. The NG-NPAs also did not cause known common side effects of systemic nitrate administration, such as systemic hypotension, cerebral vascular steal, cortical vein dilation, or intracranial pressure elevation. Systemic administration of free NG at the maximal tolerated dose, which was ten times higher than the dose of NG used in the NG-NPAs, did not enhance LMC perfusion and dropped blood pressure. Thus, packaging NG within shear-activated NPAs can potentially enable this widely available vasodilator to become a highly effective therapeutic for ischaemic stroke.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Exacerbation of influenza virus induced lung injury by alveolar macrophages and its suppression by pyroptosis blockade in a human lung alveolus chip

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are the major sentinel immune cells in human alveoli and play a central role in eliciting host inflammatory responses upon distal lung viral infection. Here, we incorporated peripheral human monocyte-derived macrophages within a microfluidic human Lung Alveolus Chip that recreates the human alveolar-capillary interface under an air-liquid interface along with vascular flow to study how residential AMs contribute to the human pulmonary response to viral infection. When Lung Alveolus Chips that were cultured with macrophages were infected with influenza H3N2, there was a major reduction in viral titers compared to chips without macrophages; however, there was significantly greater inflammation and tissue injury. Pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, recruitment of immune cells circulating through the vascular channel, and expression of genes involved in myelocyte activation were all increased, and this was accompanied by reduced epithelial and endothelial cell viability and compromise of the alveolar tissue barrier. These effects were partially mediated through activation of pyroptosis in macrophages and release of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as interleukin (IL)-1{beta}, and blocking pyroptosis via caspase-1 inhibition suppressed lung inflammation and injury on-chip. These findings demonstrate how integrating tissue resident immune cells within human Lung Alveolus Chip can identify potential new therapeutic targets and uncover cell and molecular mechanisms that contribute to the development of viral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2024

Organ Chips with integrated multifunctional sensors enable continuous metabolic monitoring at controlled oxygen levels

Despite remarkable advances in Organ-on-a-chip (Organ Chip) microfluidic culture technology, recreating tissue-relevant physiological conditions, such as the region-specific oxygen concentrations, remains a formidable technical challenge, and analysis of tissue functions is commonly carried out using one analytical technique at a time. Here, we describe two-channel Organ Chip microfluidic devices fabricated from polydimethylsiloxane and gas impermeable polycarbonate materials that are integrated with multiple sensors, mounted on a printed circuit board and operated using a commercially available Organ Chip culture instrument. The novelty of this system is that it enables the recreation of physiologically relevant tissue-tissue interfaces and oxygen tension as well as non-invasive continuous measurement of transepithelial electrical resistance, oxygen concentration and pH, combined with simultaneous analysis of cellular metabolic activity (ATP/ADP ratio), cell morphology, and tissue phenotype. We demonstrate the reliable and reproducible functionality of this system in living human Gut and Liver Chip cultures. Changes in tissue barrier function and oxygen tension along with their functional and metabolic responses to chemical stimuli (e.g., calcium chelation, oligomycin) were continuously and noninvasively monitored on-chip for up to 23 days. A physiologically relevant microaerobic microenvironment that supports co-culture of human intestinal cells with living Lactococcus lactis bacteria also was demonstrated in the Gut Chip. The integration of multi-functional sensors into Organ Chips provides a robust and scalable platform for the simultaneous, continuous, and non-invasive monitoring of multiple physiological functions that can significantly enhance the comprehensive and reliable evaluation of engineered tissues in Organ Chip models in basic research, preclinical modeling, and drug development.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2024

Control of Molecular Biochemistry and Cell Injury Responses through Highly Ordered Supramolecular Assembly of Flavonoids

Flavonoids are phytonutrients commonly found in plant-based foods and are generally known for their health benefits. However, their utility as potential therapeutics has not been explored because their presence in drug development tests can lead to false positives due to non-specific binding. Here, we employed molecular dynamic simulations (MDS) to examine flavonoid behavior and discovered that they form highly organized supramolecular assemblies that physically interact with disordered regions of enzymatic proteins and can physically interlink multiple protein molecules. These flavonoid assemblies adopt secondary structural patterns like those found in proteins and nucleic acids, and they physically influence molecular movement and tertiary protein structure, thereby modulating the biochemical activities of a diverse range of enzymes. Moreover, in the presence of flavonoids, human cells are protected against injury caused by ultraviolet radiation. These findings unveil a novel form of biochemical regulation wherein small molecules can modulate the function of larger proteins by forming supramolecular assemblies which results in enhanced molecular and cellular resilience. Single Sentence SummaryMolecular dynamic simulations led to the discovery that flavonoid phytonutrients can self-assemble into highly ordered supramolecular structures that interact with enzymatic proteins, slow biochemical activities, and protect cells against injury.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2023

Concerted epithelial and stromal changes during progression of Barrett's Esophagus to invasive adenocarcinoma exposed by multi-scale, multi-omics analysis

Esophageal adenocarcinoma arises from Barretts esophagus, a precancerous metaplastic replacement of squamous by columnar epithelium in response to chronic inflammation. Multi-omics profiling, integrating single-cell transcriptomics, extracellular matrix proteomics, tissue-mechanics and spatial proteomics of 64 samples from 12 patients paths of progression from squamous epithelium through metaplasia, dysplasia to adenocarcinoma, revealed shared and patient-specific progression characteristics. The classic metaplastic replacement of epithelial cells was paralleled by metaplastic changes in stromal cells, ECM and tissue stiffness. Strikingly, this change in tissue state at metaplasia was already accompanied by appearance of fibroblasts with characteristics of carcinoma-associated fibroblasts and of an NK cell-associated immunosuppressive microenvironment. Thus, Barretts esophagus progresses as a coordinated multi-component system, supporting treatment paradigms that go beyond targeting cancerous cells to incorporating stromal reprogramming. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=187 SRC="FIGDIR/small/544265v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (62K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@64c375org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@15c6ef2org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@177dee0org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@c945e7_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG Graphical AbstractTo obtain a comprehensive picture of the coordinated changes in epithelial, stromal and immune compartments during development of Barretts-associated esophageal adenocarcinoma, patient-matched samples corresponding to various phases of disease progression were collected from 12 patients, each of which had at a given time point lesions at multiple stages progression (matched-normal, metaplasia, dysplasia, and carcinoma). Matched "normal" gastric tissues were also collected. These sample were analyzed by single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq) for single-cell resolution transcriptomics and Copy Number Variant (CNV), by proteomics for extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM for tissue stiffness and by CODEX spatial proteomics imaging The integrative multi-omics analysis exposed drastic alterations in cell type composition and shifts in cell states in all three compartments. A large subpopulation of fibroblasts absent in the normal esophagus and characteristic of dysplasia and adenocarcinoma sample, that based on markers would indeed be considered cancer associated fibroblasts (CAF), appeared already in the metaplastic phase. This fibroblast subpopulation had transcriptomes virtually indistinguishable with fibroblasts of the cancer free gastric epithelium in these patients C_FIG

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Identification of a pharmaceutical biostasis inducer that slows metabolism in multiple vertebrates that do not hibernate

Drugs that induce reversible slowing of metabolic and physiological processes would have great value for organ preservation, especially for organs with high susceptibility to hypoxia-reperfusion injury, such as the heart. Using whole-organism screening of metabolism, mobility, and development in Xenopus, we identified an existing drug, SNC80, that rapidly and reversibly slows biochemical and metabolic activities while preserving cell and tissue viability. Although SNC80 was developed as a delta opioid receptor activator, we discovered that its ability to slow metabolism is independent of its opioid modulating activity as a novel SNC80 analog (WB3) with almost 1,000 times less delta opioid receptor binding activity is equally active. Metabolic suppression was also achieved using SNC80 in microfluidic human organs-on-chips, as well as in explanted whole porcine hearts and limbs, demonstrating the cross-species relevance of this approach and potential clinical relevance for surgical transplantation. Pharmacological induction of physiological slowing in combination with organ perfusion transport systems may offer a new therapeutic approach for tissue and organ preservation for transplantation, trauma management, and enhancing patient survival in remote and low-resource locations.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2023

Mucus production, host-microbiome interactions, hormone sensitivity, and innate immune responses modeled in human endo- and ecto-cervix chips

Modulation of mucus production by the human endo- and ecto-cervical epithelium by steroid hormones and associated interactions with commensal microbiome play a central role in the physiology and pathophysiology of the female reproductive tract. However, most of our knowledge about these interactions is based on results from animal studies or in vitro models that fail to faithfully mimic the mucosal environment of the human cervix. Here we describe microfluidic organ-on-a-chip (Organ Chip) models of the human cervical mucosa that recreate the cervical epithelial-stromal interface with a functional epithelial barrier and produce abundant mucus that has compositional, biophysical, and hormone-responsive properties similar to the living cervix. Application of continuous fluid flow to chips lined with primary human cervical epithelial cells from a commercial source that contained a mixture of primary human ecto- and endo-cervical epithelial cells promoted preferential expression of the ecto-cervical phenotype, whereas use of periodic flow including periods of stasis induced endo-cervical specialization. When the periodic flow Cervix Chips were co-cultured with living Lactobacillus crispatus and Gardnerella vaginalis bacterial communities to respectively mimic the effects of human host interactions with optimal (healthy) or non-optimal (dysbiotic) microbiome associated with an ascending infection in the female reproductive tract, significant differences in tissue innate immune responses, barrier function, cell viability and protein profile, and mucus composition were detected reminiscent of those observed in vivo. Thus, these Organ Chip models of human cervix provide a physiologically relevant experimental in vitro model to study cervical mucus physiology and its role in human host-microbiome interactions as well as a potential preclinical testbed for development of therapeutic interventions to enhance womens health.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2023

Hemoxygenase-1 as a key mediator of acute radiation pneumonitis revealed in a human lung alveolus-on-a-chip

Exposure to gamma radiation either due to environmental disasters or cancer radiotherapy can result in development of acute radiation syndrome (ARS), characterized by pneumonitis and lung fibrosis. We leveraged a microfluidic organ-on-a-chip lined by human lung alveolar epithelium interfaced with pulmonary endothelium to model acute radiation-induced lung injury in vitro. Both lung epithelium and endothelium exhibited DNA damage, cellular hypertrophy, upregulation of inflammatory cytokines, and loss of barrier function within 6 h of radiation exposure, although greater damage was observed in the endothelium. Transcriptomic analysis revealed increased expression of the cytoprotective gene, hemoxygenase-1 (HMOX-1) and gene network analysis identified it as a central mediator of radiation-induced injury. Pharmacological stimulation of HMOX-1 activity also significantly reduced acute radiation-induced lung injury, although it enhanced damage at later times. Thus, this human lung chip offers a new platform to study ARS and these results suggest that HMOX-1 may be mechanistically involved in this injury response.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2022

Vaginal microbiome-host interactions modeled in a human vagina-on-a-chip

BackgroundA dominance of non-iners Lactobacillus species in the vaginal microbiome is optimal and strongly associated with gynecological and obstetric health, while the presence of diverse obligate or facultative anaerobic bacteria and a paucity in Lactobacillus species, similar to communities found in bacterial vaginosis (BV), is considered non-optimal and associated with adverse health outcomes. Various therapeutic strategies are being explored to modulate the composition of the vaginal microbiome; however, there is no human model that faithfully reproduces the vaginal epithelial microenvironment for preclinical validation of potential therapeutics or testing hypotheses about vaginal epithelium-microbiome interactions. ResultsHere, we describe an organ-on-a-chip (Organ Chip) microfluidic culture model of the human vaginal mucosa (Vagina Chip) that is lined by hormone-sensitive, primary vaginal epithelium interfaced with underlying stromal fibroblasts, which sustains a low physiological oxygen concentration in the epithelial lumen. We show that the Vagina Chip can be used to assess colonization by optimal L. crispatus consortia as well as non-optimal Gardnerella vaginalis-containing consortia, and to measure associated host innate immune responses. Co-culture of the L. crispatus consortia was accompanied by maintenance of epithelial cell viability, accumulation of D- and L-lactic acid, maintenance of a physiologically relevant low pH, and down regulation of proinflammatory cytokines. In contrast, co-culture of G. vaginalis-containing consortia in the Vagina Chip resulted in epithelial cell injury, a rise in pH, and upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines. ConclusionThis study demonstrates the potential of applying human Organ Chip technology to create a preclinical model of the human vaginal mucosa that can be used to better understand interactions between the vaginal microbiome and host tissues, as well as to evaluate the safety and efficacy of live biotherapeutics products.

microbiology↗