Cystic Fibrosis Human Organs-on-a-Chip

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene: the gene product responsible for transporting chloride and bicarbonate ions through the apical membrane of most epithelial cells. Major clinical features of CF include respiratory failure, pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, and intestinal disease. Many CF animal models have been generated, but some models fail to fully capture the phenotypic manifestations of human CF disease. Other models that better capture the key characteristics of the human CF phenotype are cost prohibitive or require special care to maintain. Important differences have been reported between the pathophysiology seen in human CF patients and in animal models. These limitations present significant limitations to translational research. This review outlines the study of CF using patient-derived organs-on-a-chip to overcome some of these limitations. Recently developed microfluidic-based organs-on-a-chip provide a human experimental model that allows researchers to manipulate environmental factors and mimic in vivo conditions. These chips may be scaled to support pharmaceutical studies and may also be used to study organ systems and human disease. The use of these chips in CF discovery science enables researchers to avoid the barriers inherent in animal models and promote the advancement of personalized medicine.