Validation of an adipose-liver human-on-a-chip model of NAFLD for preclinical therapeutic efficacy evaluation

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease and strongly correlates with the growing incidence of obesity and type II diabetes. We have developed a human-on-a-chip model composed of human hepatocytes and adipose tissue chambers capable of modeling the metabolic factors that contribute to liver disease development and progression, and evaluation of the therapeutic metformin. This model uses a serum-free, recirculating medium tailored to represent different human metabolic conditions over a 14-day period. The system validated the indirect influence of adipocyte physiology on hepatocytes that modeled important aspects of NAFLD progression, including insulin resistant biomarkers, differential adipokine signaling in different media and increased TNF-α-induced steatosis observed only in the two-tissue model. This model provides a simple but unique platform to evaluate aspects of an individual factor’s contribution to NAFLD development and mechanisms as well as evaluate preclinical drug efficacy and reassess human dosing regimens.