Imaging microphysiological systems: a review

Abstract

Microphysiological systems (MPS), often referred to as “organ-on-chips,” are microfluidic-based in vitro models that aim to recapitulate the dynamic chemical and mechanical microenvironment of living organs. MPS promise to bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo models and ultimately improve the translation from preclinical animal studies to clinical trials. However, despite the explosion of interest in this area in recent years, and the obvious rewards for such models that could improve R&D efficiency and reduce drug attrition in the clinic, the pharmaceutical industry has been slow to fully adopt this technology. The ability to extract robust, quantitative information from MPS at scale is a key requirement if these models are to impact drug discovery and the subsequent drug development process. Microscopy imaging remains a core technology that enables the capture of information at the single-cell level and with subcellular resolution. Furthermore, such imaging techniques can be automated, increasing throughput and enabling compound screening. In this review, we discuss a range of imaging techniques that have been applied to MPS of varying focus, such as organoids and organ-chip-type models. We outline the opportunities these technologies can bring in terms of understanding mechanistic biology, but also how they could be used in higher-throughput screens, widening the scope of their impact in drug discovery. We discuss the associated challenges of imaging these complex models and the steps required to enable full exploitation. Finally, we discuss the requirements for MPS, if they are to be applied at a scale necessary to support drug discovery projects.