Symposium S.SM03: Flexible, Stretchable Biointegrated Materials, Devices and Related Mechanics
November 30, 2020
Roisin Owens, University of Cambridge
A Bioelectronic In Vitro Model of the Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis
Written by Jessalyn Low Hui Ying
In vitro models are useful for modeling human biological systems, especially in cases where animal models do not suffice. This is particularly true for the study of microbiome-gut-brain interactions. For this, Roisin Owens and her colleagues developed an in vitro model using polymeric electroactive materials. They have previously established that conducting polymer scaffolds can be integrated into tubular transistor devices where the active barrier is the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). This tubular scaffold is able to host cells and also monitor cell growth over time. “This is a unique model and one of the things that makes it really stand apart is the fact that we have the integrated monitoring, so we can see whether something we add to the model is increasing the resistance of the epithelium or decreasing the blood-brain barrier permeability,” says Owens.
To achieve a co-culture of multiple cell types, fibroblasts were seeded onto the scaffold, and intestinal epithelial cells four days later, to generate a monolayer of epithelial cells pointing into the lumen of scaffold like the gut. Haematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining showed the integration of scaffold with fibroblasts and the presence of the epithelial layer with globular mucous producing cells, indicating tissue formation. Resistance and capacitance were also observed to change with time. To increase the repository of cells in the scaffold, the researchers have also grown monocytes as well as integrated bacteria. The addition of bacteria caused an initial dip in transepithelial resistance but recovery was faster in the presence of immune cells. Owens reports that the gut model is almost complete and that they are now developing models of vasculature and neurovasculature including components of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and brain model.
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