All-Inkjet-Printed Alveolar Barrier Model in Microfluidic Chip for Tissue Culture

Abstract

With the outbreak of new respiratory viruses and high mortality rates of lung diseases, physiologically relevant models of human lung tissue are urgently needed to study disease pathogenesis, drug efficacy, and toxicology. In this research, we present a three-layered human alveolar barrier model by printing four alveolar cell lines with an unprecedented thickness of approximately 10 μm. High-resolution inkjet printing enabled fabrication of the alveolar barrier model with the optimal three-layered structure by the drop-on-demand deposition of alveolar cells. Furthermore, the microfluidic chip was used for culturing the inkjet bioprinted alveolar barrier model for biomimetic blood flow at the epithelial-blood barrier interface. We investigated proliferation, multilayered structure, and functionalities such as tight junction and surfactant secretion of the printed alveolar barrier cultured in a microfluidic chip. The bioprinted alveolar barrier models and microfluidic chip could be a 3D-manufacturable alternative to traditional cell culture and animal models for pathological and pharmaceutical applications.