Abstract

Joint-on-a-Chip: Monitoring the Onset and Progression of Inflammatory Responses in a Personalized Rheumatoid Arthritis Model

Peter Ertl, Professor of Lab-on-a-Chip Systems, Vienna University of Technology

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflamed joints through recruitment of immune cells, synovitis as well as degradation of cartilage. As a result, patients suffer from intense joint pain, are limited in their daily activities and have a lower life expectancy. To date almost 1% of the population worldwide is affected by arthritis, but no cure is available and pain reduction remains the treatment of choice. Although a number of drugs have shown to decrease disease progression, remission is achieved in less than 50% of patients, indicating a patient-specific drug response. Consequently, a personalized disease model is urgently needed to identify suitable drug combinations and concentrations for each individual patient. In this presentation the development of a sensor-integrated joint-on-a-chip platform capable of mimicking the physiological environment of a human diarthrodial joint is presented and observed patient variability discussed.