Capturing Essential Physiological Aspects of Interacting Cartilage and Bone Tissue with Osteoarthritis Pathophysiology: A Human Osteochondral Unit‐on‐a‐Chip Model
Advanced Materials Technologies, vol. 7
Abstract
Abstract Given the multi‐tissue aspects of osteoarthritis (OA) pathophysiology, translation of OA susceptibility genes towards underlying biological mechanism and eventually drug target discovery requires appropriate human in vitro OA models that incorporate both functional bone and cartilage tissue units. Therefore, a microfluidic chip is developed with an integrated fibrous polycaprolactone matrix in which neo‐bone and cartilage are produced, that could serve as a tailored human in vitro disease model of the osteochondral unit of joints. The model enables to evaluate OA‐related environmental perturbations to (individual) tissue units by controlling environmental cues, for example by adding biochemical agents. After establishing the co‐culture in the system, a layer of cartilaginous matrix is deposited in the chondrogenic compartment, while a bone‐like matrix is deposited between the fibers, indicated by both histology and gene expression levels of collagen type 2 and osteopontin, respectively. As proof‐of‐principle, the bone and cartilaginous tissue are exposed to active thyroid hormone, creating an OA disease model. This results in increased expression levels of hypertrophy markers integrin‐binding sialoprotein and alkaline phosphatase in both cartilage and bone, as expected. Altogether, this model could contribute to enhanced translation from OA risk genes towards novel OA therapies.
Authors 11
-
Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biomedical Data Sciences Section Molecular Epidemiology Leiden University Medical Center Leiden 2333 ZA The Netherlands
Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Section Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA The Netherlands
-
Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biomedical Data Sciences Section Molecular Epidemiology Leiden University Medical Center Leiden 2333 ZA The Netherlands
Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Section Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA The Netherlands
-
Eindhoven University of Technology
Affiliation as printed
Department of Mechanical Engineering Microsystems Section and Institute for Complex MolecularSystems Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Microsystems Section, and Institute for Complex MolecularSystems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5600 MB The Netherlands
-
Eindhoven University of Technology
Affiliation as printed
Department. of Biomedical Engineering Bioengineering Bone and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
Department. of Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering Bone and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5600 MB The Netherlands
-
Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biomedical Data Sciences Section Molecular Epidemiology Leiden University Medical Center Leiden 2333 ZA The Netherlands
Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Section Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA The Netherlands
-
Leiden University Medical Center
Affiliation as printed
Department. Orthopaedics Leiden University Medical Center Leiden 2333 ZA The Netherlands
Department. Orthopaedics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA The Netherlands
-
Eindhoven University of Technology
Affiliation as printed
Department. of Biomedical Engineering Bioengineering Bone and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
Department. of Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering Bone and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5600 MB The Netherlands
-
Leiden University Medical Center
Affiliation as printed
Department. Orthopaedics Leiden University Medical Center Leiden 2333 ZA The Netherlands
Department. Orthopaedics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA The Netherlands
-
Eindhoven University of Technology
Affiliation as printed
Department of Mechanical Engineering Microsystems Section and Institute for Complex MolecularSystems Eindhoven University of Technology Eindhoven 5600 MB The Netherlands
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Microsystems Section, and Institute for Complex MolecularSystems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5600 MB The Netherlands
-
Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biomedical Data Sciences Section Molecular Epidemiology Leiden University Medical Center Leiden 2333 ZA The Netherlands
Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Section Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA The Netherlands
-
Ingrid Meulenbelt corresponding Aachen Department of Biomedical Data Sciences Section Molecular Epidemiology
Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biomedical Data Sciences Section Molecular Epidemiology Leiden University Medical Center Leiden 2333 ZA The Netherlands
Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Section Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA The Netherlands
Cited by 27 stored of 28
No patents citing this paper on Lens.org (checked 2026-10-11).