Invention:
This invention is a full-thickness, immune-responsive human skin-on-a-chip platform designed to model pressure-induced injury and quantitatively assess inflammatory toxicity, barrier dysfunction, and immunogenic response. The platform will function as a next-generation New Approach Method (NAM) supporting pre-clinical safety decision-making and reducing reliance on animal testing.
Background:
Pressure injury is a clinically significant condition driven by mechanical stress, ischemia-reperfusion, barrier disruption, and inflammation, but current models fail to holistically capture this complexity. Animal models differentiate from human skin biology, while static in vitro systems lack dynamic mechanical and immune interactions, limiting their predictive value. Existing approaches therefore provide poor translational relevance for drug safety and efficacy testing. The pneumatically actuated human skin-on-a-chip platform integrates controlled mechanical loading, microfluidic perfusion, and human tissue to better replicate pressure-induced injury.
Applications:
- Human skin-on-a-chip platforms
- Pressure injury models
- Point-of-care model
- Mechanobiology
- Pre-clinical safety
Advantages:
- Simultaneously assess barrier dysfunction, inflammatory signaling, and tissue deformation
- Improved predictive value
- Real-time readouts and monitoring
- Reduces reliance on animal models
- Personalized medicine applications
- Enhanced drug screening
- Diverse field applications
