Development of an organ on a chip that mimics the ocular fundus

开发新的三维（3D）体外细胞培养模型，密切模仿人体组织和器官（称为“器官芯片”）最近引起了极大的关注，疾病建模和药物发现。特别是，已经有许多尝试来模拟消化和呼吸系统，如肺、肝和肠。然而，到目前为止，很少有关于感觉器官如眼睛的芯片上培养模型的报道。因此，本研究的目的是在微流体装置内开发基于细胞的视网膜模型，并检查细胞对受控环境的反应。对在该装置中培养的神经支持细胞（包括视网膜色素上皮细胞）进行表征，发现其表现出天然组织中的特性。在培养的细胞中应用诱导病理变化的刺激将使该系统扩展到用于新疗法和药物发现的疾病模型。

Developing new three-dimensional (3D) in vitro cell culture models closely mimicking human tissues and organs (referred to as "organ on a chip") has recently attracted great attention for disease modeling and drug discovery. In particular, there have been many attempts to mimic the digestive and respiratory systems such as the lung, liver and intestine. To date, however, there are few reported on on-chip culture models of sensory organs such as the eye. Thus, this research aims to develop a cell-based retinal model within a microfluidic device and to examine cellular responses to controlled environments. The characterization of neural supporting cells including retinal pigment epithelial cells cultured in the device was performed and found to exhibit properties found in native tissues. Application of stimuli that induce pathological changes in cultured cells would extend the system to a disease model for new therapy and drug discovery.