Fabrication of a pumpless, microfluidic skin chip from different collagen sources

Current skin-equivalents do not recapitulate the full functionalities of human skin, and recent efforts have been towards reproduction of 3D architecture of skin, as well as realization of vasculature using microfluidics. These microfluidic skin-on-a-chips use extracellular matrix proteins as a scaffold material for cell culture. Choice of optimal scaffold material is essential for properly recapitulating the tissue microenvironment. Here, we tested collagens from different sources, rat tail, porcine skin, and duck feet, comparing their abilities to support cell growth and differentiation. The viability was compared, and immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate differentiation of the skin constructs using different scaffold materials. The collagens from different sources had distinct mechanical properties, as well as the degree of contraction upon fibroblast culture. The morphology of skin tissue and the microstructure of the construct were also different, depending on the collagen sources and culture conditions. Our study provides valuable information about the choice of scaffold materials for constructing a 3D skin model.