Intestine-On-A-Chip for Studying Inflammatory and Pathology Effects of Antibiotics

Antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and metronidazole are used to reduce inflammation in the intestines [1]. However, due the rise of antibiotic resistance, the inflammation remains. Continuous bacterial infections or large bacterial burdens can overwork the immune system and cause dysregulation and lead to inflammatory diseases such as irritable bowel disease (IBD) [2]. Patients

with a history of these intestinal ailments are at a higher risk of developing intestinal cancers, including colon cancer, due to the existing inflammation in the intestinal mucosa [3]. Additionally, the overuse of antibiotics can modulate gut microbiome and host-microbial interactions. Consequently, these may influence the barrier junctions of the intestine, inducing inflammatory

and pathogenic effects. A "leaky" intestine would impose risks to bloodstream infections. Current organ-on-a-chip (OoC) models have expressed in vitro intestine devices to absorb nutrients and drugs. However, there are difficulties imitating the complexities of the physiological conditions. They lack the imitation of the four layers of the intestinal wall and can only culture the

epithelial lining and gut bacteria both together and separately for less than a week [4]. Gut microbiomes-on-a-chip devices have also been exhibited with growth of bacteria and have great potential for modeling IBD and other intestinal diseases. The Yin Lab at the University of Glasgow has developed an intestine-on-a-chip model for drug

screening through microfluidic extrusion of channels to create hollow microfibers. These microfibers use an alginate-based outer layer to mimic the stiffness of vessels and have a collagenbased core [5]. This promotes cell growth from a bioactive microenvironment. The microfluidic device