Abstract

Development of an Organ-on-a-Chip-Device For Nutrient Transport Measurement Across the Placental Barrier

Babak Mosavati, PhD student, Florida Atlantic University

The human placenta is an organ in body which plays a key role in reproduction and acts as a major barrier for maternofetal exchange of nutrients between mother and fetus. Placental malaria (PM) caused by Plasmodium falciparum contributes to newborn deaths mainly because of low birth weight. In PM, sequestered infected erythrocytes (IEs) change the physiological functions of syncytiotrophoblast and consequently may restrict the fetal growth and development. A 3D placental-on-a-chip model is developed to study the nutrient transfer across the maternal-fetal interface in PM. This model may contribute to better understanding and potentially treatment of PM. This model consists of two polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) channels that are bonded to polycarbonate porous membrane (pore size = 400 nm) using a PDMS mortar. To simulate the placental barrier, the cytotrophoblasts cells (BeWo) and human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVECs) cells are cultured on the opposite sides of the membrane through the microchannel. To demonstrate the capability of this model, glucose exchange across the placental barrier is measured under the influence of IE sequestration. The rate of glucose transport across the barrier is analyzed and compared between the conditions of IE sequestration with and without anti-adhesion interventions.