Colon-on-a-Chip Model Introduction

Lacking physiologically relevant in vitro models is a knotty problem for studies in the colon. Creative Biolabs provides you with a living colon-on-a-chip model that mimics the mechanical, structural, absorptive, transport, and pathophysiological properties of the human colon along with its crucial microbial symbionts.

About Colon-on-a-chip Model

Fig 1. Human colon-on-a-chip model. (Sontheimer-Phelps, 2019)

The mucus layer in the human colon protects the intestinal epithelial cells against commensal pathogens and defects in its unique bilayered structure contribute to intestinal disorders. In conventional in vitro colon models, cells are maintained under static conditions in which dynamic parameters cannot be mimicked easily. These systems display a static nature but cannot fully recapitulate epithelial morphogenesis. The colon-on-a-chip microfluidic device can be used to recapitulate mucus bilayer formation and to visualize mucus accumulation in living cultures noninvasively. The Colon Chip offers a new preclinical tool to analyze the role of mucus in human intestinal homeostasis as well as diseases such as ulcerative colitis and cancer.

How Does Our Colon-on-a-chip Model Work?

Our organ-on-a-chip microfluidic culture technology has been used to create a human colon-on-a-chip model, which is lined by primary human organoid-derived colonic intestinal epithelial cells. Briefly, the microfluidic chips are composed of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane, a silicon-based polymer) and two parallel microchannels separated by a porous membrane. The colonic microenvironment is recreated by flowing fluid at a low rate producing low shear stress over the microchannels, and by exerting cyclic strain that mimics physiological peristaltic motions.

Fig 2. Schematic of Colon-on-a-chip. (Sontheimer-Phelps, 2019)

Advantages of Our Colon-on-a-chip Model

Creative Biolabs always stresses the importance of mimicking the architectural structure and dynamic microenvironment of the in vivo human colon to study normal colonic function in vitro. Understanding the molecular crosstalk between microbes and their host has remained largely elusive, whereas bacteria do overgrow epithelial cells in static in vitro models within a few hours, the dynamic microenvironment of colon-on-chips stimulates the formation of a protective mucus layer and supports co-culture with vascular and immune cells in adjacent channels. Our labs' expertise in Colon Chip modeling has filled the gap in in vitro Colon Chip studies to the greatest extent. And we can surely aid you with further study in a relevant field of the colon.

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Related Services

Alongside our diverse model range, we present bespoke preclinical research services listed as below to expedite your preclinical drug discovery journey. At Creative Biolabs, our approach focuses on valuing each customer and their projects, aiming to become your primary selection. If you have any special needs in organ-on-a-chip models or be interested in learning more about Creative Biolabs' 3D biology-based services, please feel free to contact us for more details.

Related Sections:

• Single Organ-on-a-Chip Model Introduction
• Multiple Organs-on-a-Chip Model Introduction
• Barrier Tissue On-a-Chip Model Introduction
• Customized Tissue-on-a-Chip Model Introduction
• Disease-on-a-Chip Model Introduction