Organs-on-chips with integrated electrodes for trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurements of human epithelial barrier function

Lab Chip. 2017 Jun 27;17(13):2264-2271. doi: 10.1039/c7lc00155j.

Abstract

Trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) is broadly used as an experimental readout and a quality control assay for measuring the integrity of epithelial monolayers cultured under static conditions in vitro, however, there is no standard methodology for its application to microfluidic organ-on-a-chip (organ chip) cultures. Here, we describe a new microfluidic organ chip design that contains embedded electrodes, and we demonstrate its utility for assessing formation and disruption of barrier function both within a human lung airway chip lined by a fully differentiated mucociliary human airway epithelium and in a human gut chip lined by intestinal epithelial cells. These chips with integrated electrodes enable real-time, non-invasive monitoring of TEER and can be applied to measure barrier function in virtually any type of cultured cell.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Cells, Cultured
  • Electric Impedance*
  • Epithelial Cells* / cytology
  • Epithelial Cells* / physiology
  • Epithelium / physiology
  • Equipment Design
  • Humans
  • Lab-On-A-Chip Devices*
  • Models, Biological*
  • Organ Culture Techniques / instrumentation*