Building a diabetic skin-on-a-chip model for a better understanding of the pathophysiological characteristics of type 2 diabetes in vitro

• Grant number: 24/13430-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Bioengineering
• Principal Investigator: Ana Carolina Migliorini Figueira
• Grantee: Julia Carnelós Machado Velho
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Chronic non-healing skin wounds are among the most socially and economically impactful complications of diabetes. However, there is currently no universally effective therapy, primarily due to the lack of comprehensive understanding of the complex pathophysiology of diabetic wound healing. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop more robust and highly predictive non-clinical human models. The aim of this project is therefore to develop a 3D model of human skin on a chip, composed of all three layers, and to modulate the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis for use as a non-clinical in vitro model of diabetic skin. Initially, a healthy human skin model will be developed in a transwell system and subsequently incorporated into a microfluidic system. Both models will be modulated by administering inflammatory factors and/or conditioned media to induce insulin resistance, followed by characterization of their morphological, structural, and molecular properties, as well as an assessment of their glycemic conditions. The development of these models is expected to significantly advance scientific knowledge and innovation regarding the pathophysiology of diabetic skin. The development of these models is expected to bring major scientific and innovative advances in knowledge about the pathophysiology of diabetic skin, as well as the screening and testing of cosmetics, drugs and other therapeutic agents, representing a substantial direct impact on healthcare.