Abstract

Developing Artificial Alveoli for Rapid Drug Screening Application

Ayesha Arefin, Student, University of New Mexico

Drugs tested on animal models and on humans do not always produce the same results in both species; the divide between the two can be bridged by a reliable in vitro lung model. Because alveoli is a target for several drugs, an alveolar model can be a platform for both designing drugs and studying lung diseases. It should allow for gas exchange, growth of alveolar epithelial cells, extracellular matrix production, and have similar mechanical properties to alveoli, creating an environment conducive to normal metabolic activity and cellular responses. Existing artificial lung models that use polymeric membranes to inhabit lung cells are limited by the lack of biocompatibility or the necessary strain profile. We report the fabrication of flexible polyurethane membranes of 15µm thickness, which imitate the alveolar wall, using spin coating techniques, and an efficient technique to consistently handle and integrate these delicate membranes into microfluidic devices. The membranes were characterized for their elastic properties using a microfluidic-based bulging test system. 6kPa fluidic pressure was applied to execute cyclic stress on the membranes for two weeks without failure. Finally, Human Small Airway Epithelial Cells (HSAECs) were cultured on the polyurethane membrane. Increased surfactant and aquaporin production were observe compared to standard culture plates and also investigated the effect of mechanical stretch on the airway epithelial cells. Our results suggest a use of this artificial alveolus in the development of an effective platform for rapid drug screening.