Tissue engineered constructs for the replacement of laboratory animals: Biomimetics and microfluidics

The purpose of this contribution is to highlight how Biomimetics and Microfluidics can be used as tools for the in vitro creation of 3D systems to be employed as a valid alternative to animal models. Microfluidic bioreactors can be used for cell culture on biomimetic scaffolds as in vitro tissue and organ models with the aim to develop alternative methods to in vivo experiments. Several types of biomimetic scaffolds have been prepared using different techniques of production and functionalization. A microfluidic bioreactor was designed for perfusion culture of cardiomiocytes seeded onto biomimetic alginate/ gelatin sponges and high viability of the resulting cardiac constructs, under dynamic flow culture, was observed.