Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a pneumatic microfluidic platform for high-throughput studies of cardiac hypertrophy that enables repetitive (hundreds of thousands of times) and robust (over several weeks) manipulation of cardiac ?tissues. The platform is reusable for stable and reproducible mechanical stimulation of cardiac ?tissues (each containing only 500 cells). Heterotypic and homotypic ?tissues produced in the device were pneumatically loaded in a range of regimes, with real-time on-chip analysis of tissue phenotypes. Concentrated loading of the three-dimensional cardiac tissue faithfully recapitulated the pathology of volume overload seen in native heart tissue. Sustained volume overload of ?tissues was sufficient to induce pathological cardiac remodeling associated with upregulation of the fetal gene program, in a dose-dependent manner.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a pneumatic microfluidic platform for high-throughput studies of cardiac hypertrophy that enables repetitive (hundreds of thousands of times) and robust (over several weeks) manipulation of cardiac ?tissues. The platform is reusable for stable and reproducible mechanical stimulation of cardiac ?tissues (each containing only 500 cells). Heterotypic and homotypic ?tissues produced in the device were pneumatically loaded in a range of regimes, with real-time on-chip analysis of tissue phenotypes. Concentrated loading of the three-dimensional cardiac tissue faithfully recapitulated the pathology of volume overload seen in native heart tissue. Sustained volume overload of ?tissues was sufficient to induce pathological cardiac remodeling associated with upregulation of the fetal gene program, in a dose-dependent manner.

Abstract: Microfabricated platforms can be used to study a heterogeneous panel of biosamples in a realistic in vivo setting. The platform can be formed of a polymer (e.g., a hydrogel) and can be constructed for implantation into an animal host for in vivo testing. The platform can have a plurality of testing regions therein that are constructed to allow exposure of the testing region to the host stroma when implanted in vivo. For example, the microfabricated platform can be used for screening different cancer cell-lines (e.g., to identify which cell line responds to an anti-cancer drug) or for screening different biomaterials (e.g., to identify a composition with ideal host response for a specific implantable device).

Abstract: Microfabricated platforms can be used to study a heterogeneous panel of biosamples in a realistic in vivo setting. The platform can be formed of a polymer (e.g., a hydrogel) and can be constructed for implantation into an animal host for in vivo testing. The platform can have a plurality of testing regions therein that are constructed to allow exposure of the testing region to the host stroma when implanted in vivo. For example, the microfabricated platform can be used for screening different cancer cell-lines (e.g., to identify which cell line responds to an anti-cancer drug) or for screening different biomaterials (e.g., to identify a composition with ideal host response for a specific implantable device).