Kidney-on-a-chip

Physiological microenvironment for a more realistic in vitro kidney model

Physiological flow rates

High control of flow rates to induce cell polarization

Use the chip of your preference

Mimic the proximal, distal tubules and/or glomerulus on chip

Enrich the media with metabolites

Circulate media to collect molecules and assess cellular response

Image Credit: Kidney proximal tubule. David Gregory & Debbie Marshall. Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Kidney-on-a-chip pack setup

Different areas of the kidney have been reproduced on-chip, such as proximal [1] and distal tubules [2], the glomerulus [3, 4], or the nephron [5]. Our setup allows you to use a single design to work with the model(s) most adapted to your application.

 

The unidirectional cellular perfusion module, connected to the reservoirs, provides media to the chip in a controlled and automated manner. As the schematic exemplifies, when working with a barrier model with a membrane chip, each chamber’s flow rate and direction can be chosen to reproduce the in vivo reality better.

recirculation system with check valves
recirculation system 2 with check valves

The kidney-on-a-chip pack includes:

Flow sensor (Galileo, MIC)

Recirculation bridge

Smart culture tube rack

Software (Galileo user interface)

Reservoirs for precursor solutiona

Several falcon reservoirs

Tubings and fittings

Microfluidic chip of your choice

User guide

References
  1. Ng CP, Zhuang Y, Lin AWH, Teo JCM. A fibrin-based tissue-engineered renal proximal tubule for bioartificial kidney devices: development, characterization and in vitro transport studyInt J Tissue Eng. 2013; article ID 319476.
  2. Ferrell N, Ricci KB, Groszek J, et al. Albumin handling by renal tubular epithelial cells in a microfluidic bioreactorBiotechnol Bioeng. 2012;109:797–803
  3. Musah S, Mammoto A, Ferrante TC, et al. Mature induced-pluripotentstem-cell-derived human podocytes reconstitute kidney glomerular-capillary-wall function on a chipNat Biomed Eng. 2017;1. article number: 0069.
  4. Zhou M, Zhang X, Wen X, et al. Development of a functional glomerulus at the organ level on a chip to mimic hypertensive nephropathySci Rep. 2016;6:31771
  5. Weinberg E, Kaazempur-Mofrad M, Borenstein J. Concept and computational design for a bioartificial nephron-on-a-chipInt J Artif Organs. 2008;31:508.

A little more about the suggested chip: Fluidic 480

The fluidic 480 cross-flow membrane chip from Microfluidic ChipShop represents a microfluidic chip system for adherent cell culture and, thus, the generation of diverse cellular tissues and organoids. Cell cultivation takes place on the integrated membrane. 

The device comprises two in- and outlet ports above and below the membrane that allow molecule transfer. Different pore sizes, materials, and chip geometries with more inlets are also available.

membranechip_chipshop
  • Suitable for metabolic studies, cell co-cultures, and organ-on-chip experiments
  • Compartments divided by a permeable membrane
  • Membrane pores from 8 to 0.2 µm
  • Chip available in TOPAS or PS
  • Interaction area of 36mm2
  • Connectors: mini luer
  • Upper chamber internal volume: 87.5 µl
  • Bottom chamber lower volume: 61.5 µl

 

Other compatible chips include Fluidic 568 and Fluidic 846.

Compatibility of kidney-on-a-chip pack

Our kidney-on-a-chip pack was designed to be compatible with commercially available or homemade chips (specific adaptors might be required) and the most common supernatant assays. If you have a particular chip or assay not listed, don’t hesitate to contact us using the green button above.

Chips

3d cell culture chip close up
PMMA-device-station

PMMA Device Station

From mold development to high-resolution PMMA chip fabrication

✓ Fast process

✓ Multiple applications

✓ Simple and innovative setup

PMMA

Synvivo

And many more! 

Assays

TEER

Immunostaining of endothelial cell markers

Albumin reabsorption

3D reconstructions

Perfusion assay, using fluorescent dyes

Pharmacokinetics assays

Immunohistochemical and histopathological characterization

Toxicity assays

Kidney-on-a-chip applications

1. ADME analysis: The kidney-on-a-chip model can be part of a drug’s absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion simulation system for a better understanding of drug influence in each organ.

2. Physiology modeling: Replicating the kidney microenvironment in vitro allows a deeper understanding of biological processes related to human physiology.

3. Disease modeling: A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of diseases can be achieved with more apt models, such as the different versions of the kidney-on-a-chip.

4. Preclinical testing: The most powerful argument for using on-chip models is the possibility of using them to test the safety and efficacy of new drugs before they are tested in humans. This could reduce the number of animals used in preclinical testing and improve drug testing accuracy.

kidney stones
Kidney stone. Sergio Bertazzo, Imperial College London; Dominique Bazin, UPMC; Chantal Jouanneau, INSERM. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

If you want to know more about organ-on-a-chip technology, have a look at this review!

Customize your pack

We offer compatible instruments for standard commercialized chips from various brands. We can customize your pack to suit your specific needs with guidance from our specialists, who will suggest the best instruments and accessories. We’ll also help you set up the perfusion platform.

Frequently asked questions

Can I order a pack?

Since Packs are products that are still being developed, we have a few eligibility criteria to maximize their success rate. A discussion with our experts is needed to determine your specific needs to offer you a personalized response.

Yes, we have developed a simple protocol for sterilization and cleaning that is provided along with the user guide.

Yes! Our experts will establish which instruments are best suited for your application, such as the type of flow sensor or the number of flow controller channels you need to perform your experiment. Contact us using the “talk to our experts” green button above.

Our instruments are in beta testing phase and can be tested as a pack or individually, so get in contact with our team to know how our beta testing program works.

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Funding and Support

The ALTERNATIVE and LIFESAVER projects helped develop this instrument pack. 
These projects are funded by the European Union’s H2020-LC-GD-2020-3, grant agreements No. 101037090 (ALTERNATIVE) and 101036702 (LIFESAVER).

Products & Associated Accessories

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