# name
Bioprinted gut-on-a-chip to mimic the small intestinal mucosa

# metadata.dc.description[].value
Treballs Finals de Grau d'Enginyeria Biomèdica. Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut. Universitat de Barcelona. Curs: 2020-2021. Directores: María García Díaz & Núria Torras Andrés. Tutora: Elena Martínez Fraiz

# metadata.dc.description.abstract[].value
Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) is an emerging technology which combines microfluidics with cell culture
to create platforms that replicate human organs. These predictive models are used to understand
human physiology and to predict responses to medical treatments. Being the small intestine the
largest interface between the environment and the human organism and one of the most important
organs involved in drug metabolism, there is an increasing interest from researchers and the
pharmaceutical industry for reliable in vitro intestine models. However, currently available gut-ona-
chip devices that replicate the complex microenvironment found in the in vivo tissue are scarce,
limiting their translational capabilities to clinical outcomes. Therefore, in this work we aim to develop
a reproducible gut-on-a-chip device that mimics the 3D architecture and cell heterogeneity of the
small intestinal mucosa. SLA 3D bioprinting will be used to fabricate cell-encapsulating GelMAPEGDA
hydrogels that support the formation of an epithelial monolayer on top, to replicate the two
compartments of the intestinal mucosa; the lamina propria and the intestinal epithelial barrier. The
hydrogels contain fibroblasts and immune cells, which play a key role in maintaining the intestinal
mucosa integrity and homeostasis. These scaffolds will be then incorporated into PDMS
microfluidic chips to create the final biomimetic system. Although further improvements are needed,
this gut-on-a-chip, obtained using precise and fast fabrication techniques, might be a useful tool for
drug development and human physiology studies.

# metadata.dc.rights[].value
cc-by-nc-nd (c) van Breukelen García, Elena, 2021

# metadata.dc.source[].value
Treballs Finals de Grau (TFG) - Enginyeria Biomèdica

# metadata.dc.title[].value
Bioprinted gut-on-a-chip to mimic the small intestinal mucosa