ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the aim of engaging new research and development in the field of advanced in vitro models, as their potential could revolutionize the way future drug and toxicological evaluations are conducted. The physiochemical properties of novel materials, therapeutics, or chemicals drive the engineering demands for respiratory tract exposure or delivery. The size, charge, shape, biofunctionality, and source play a significant role in the eventual biodistribution, potential toxicity, or drug delivery and efficacy within the respiratory system. A microfluidic airway model was reported in 2007 demonstrating that commonly employed photolithography techniques could be used to create lung-on-a-chip (LOC) systems. LOC disease models have the potential to revolutionize therapeutic developmental cost and time to market by providing higher throughput in a low-volume, physiologically relevant testing platform. An LOC device was designed to simulate pulmonary drug-induced edema via a reconstituted alveolar–capillary interface on the human lung.
