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BBB-On-Chip Development Service

Introduction BBB-On-Chip Workflow What We Can Offer FAQ Related Sections Inquiry Now
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Introduction

The Neurovascular Unit (NVU, including BBB, astrocytes, pericytes, neurons) is key for CNS function, but conventional 2D/animal models fail to replicate its structure/function, causing unreliable drug data and poor clinical translation.

Creative Biolabs' BBB-On-Chip uses microfluidics, 3D co-culture, and shear stress tech to re-engineer functional NVU in vitro. This human-relevant, controllable, scalable model boosts drug predictability, meeting cost-effective, time-saving, ethical preclinical screening needs for CNS drug R&D.

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BBB-On-Chip Development Service

The flexibility and high-fidelity nature of the BOC platform make it applicable across a wide spectrum of neurological research and drug development.

Composed of microfluidic chips and multiple cell types. For instance, PDMS microfluidic chips (with a central gel region and side perfusion channels) are fabricated via soft lithography. Fibrin hydrogel mixed with human brain pericytes and astrocytes is injected into the gel region; then human brain microvascular endothelial cells are seeded through the side channels, allowing them to form a perfusable 3D microvascular network.

The design form, readouts, perfusion infrastructure, and building blocks of BBB-on-Chip. (OA Literature)Fig.1 The latest advancements in "organ-on-a-chip" technology have enabled scientists to create small engineered models capable of replicating the blood-brain barrier.1

Advantages

More accurately simulates the in vivo BBB microenvironment (cell-cell interactions, fluid shear stress) than traditional in vitro models, with results closer to reality. Some chips use standard 96/384-well formats for high throughput, enabling faster results.

Applicable Disease Models

Our customizable service can develop models tailored for specific CNS pathology:

  • Neurodegenerative Diseases: Models for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Multiple Sclerosis, focusing on chronic inflammation and barrier breakdown over extended periods.
  • CNS Infections: Dynamic models to study the transport and efficacy of antibiotics or antivirals across the barrier during infection states.
  • Brain Tumors (Glioma): Integrated models to study the unique tumor microenvironment and improve the penetration of chemotherapy agents.
  • Stroke and Ischemia: Models to simulate oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion injury, allowing for the study of acute barrier failure and therapeutic intervention.

Workflow: From Concept to Clinical Predictability

Our comprehensive service is designed to be transparent, collaborative, and deliver reliable data suitable for IND packages.

Step Activity
Project Scoping & Design Define target disease model, drug mechanism, and critical endpoints (e.g., TEER minimums, specific transporter expression).
Microfluidic Platform Fabrication Custom fabrication of microfluidic chips, integrating porous membranes and dynamic fluidic channels to introduce shear stress.
NVU Culture & Validation Co-culture of endothelial cells, astrocytes, and pericytes (often iPSC-derived) under dynamic shear stress. Barrier integrity is validated via continuous Transendothelial Electrical Resistance (TEER) measurement.
Permeability/Toxicity Assay Execution Testing of client compounds for transport kinetics, efflux ratios (e.g., P-gp), and neurotoxicity using mass spectrometry and high-content imaging.
Data Analysis & Reporting Comprehensive analysis of all experimental data, correlation with existing in vivo or in silico data provided by the client, and expert interpretation.

Required Starting Materials

To initiate the service, clients typically provide:

  1. CNS Drug Candidates: Small molecules, antibodies, or viral vectors (e.g., AAVs) requiring BBB penetration assessment.
  2. Specific Cell Lines: Human iPSC lines or established primary endothelial and neural-support cells are desired for the NVU construction.
  3. Existing In Silico or In Vitro Data: Current LogP, solubility data, or preliminary Transwell permeability results for comparative analysis.

Final Deliverables

Upon completion, you receive tangible, decision-ready outputs:

  1. Detailed Final Report: Comprehensive document including methodology, raw data, statistical analysis, and expert interpretation of permeability coefficients (Papp) and efflux ratios.
  2. Raw Data Files (Transport Kinetics): Full set of concentration vs. time data, suitable for internal modeling and regulatory submission.
  3. Optimized Protocol: A transferrable, step-by-step protocol for the specific NVU model developed, enabling future in-house scalability.

Estimated Timeframe

The typical timeframe for this service ranges from 8 to 14 weeks, depending on the complexity of the NVU cell source (e.g., differentiation of custom iPSC lines adds time) and the required duration for chronic disease modeling.

What We Can Offer

Our BBB-On-Chip Development Service delivers the gold standard in preclinical CNS modeling through technical precision and unparalleled customization, ensuring your data is predictive, reliable, and clinically relevant.

Customizable NVU Construction

We engineer bespoke Neurovascular Unit (NVU) models using your specified cell sources (iPSC-derived or primary), allowing precise integration of relevant cell types, such as microglia or specific pericyte subtypes, critical to your unique disease model.

Physiologically Validated Barrier Integrity

We guarantee high-fidelity barrier function through the continuous application of dynamic fluid shear stress, with robust validation via real-time TEER monitoring to match native in vivo human conditions.

High-Throughput Permeability & Efflux Screening

Leverage the scalability of our microfluidic platform for rapid, quantitative screening of large compound libraries, accurately determining Papp and efflux ratios (e.g., P-gp, BCRP) to accelerate lead compound identification.

Specialized Drug Delivery Validation Assays

Creative Biolabs provides customized protocols to test novel transport mechanisms, including optimizing parameters for Focused Ultrasound/Sonoporation or validating the efficiency of targeted antibody and nanoparticle delivery.

3D Extracellular Matrix Integration

We offer advanced 3D bioprinting and custom hydrogel formulation to embed the NVU within a biomimetic ECM, enhancing the biological relevance for complex, long-term neurodegenerative disease studies.

Regulatory-Compliant Quality Assurance

Strict adherence to a well-established quality system (Quality-by-Design, QbD) ensures the integrity and reproducibility of all data, providing reliable results suitable for immediate regulatory submission.

Customer Reviews

[Superior TEER Stability]

Using Creative Biolabs' BBB-On-Chip Development Service in our Alzheimer's research significantly improved the barrier model's long-term viability and physiological stability vs. Transwells. We consistently achieved TEER values >1500Ω⋅cm2 for over 14 days—critical for chronic disease modeling.

2 Months Ago, Mara Le Santos
[Accurate Efflux Prediction]

Data correlation between Creative Biolabs' chip model and our subsequent in vivo PK studies was remarkable. The platform accurately predicted our lead candidate's P-gp-mediated efflux ratio, drastically reducing screening false negatives. Highly recommended for complex PK/PD work.

4 Weeks Ago, David Sher Cohen
[Custom Hydrogel Matrix]

Creative Biolabs integrated our specific peptide-conjugated hyaluronic acid hydrogel into the microfluidic design for neuro-inflammation studies, creating our most biologically relevant NVU environment. The model's transparency also streamlined high-resolution live-cell imaging.

1 Week Ago, Emily Jo Martinez

FAQs

A: Standard Transwell models often lack fluid flow and proper cell-cell communication, resulting in low and unstable TEER values. Our BBB-On-Chip models integrate dynamic shear stress and multicellular co-culture, achieving significantly higher and more stable TEER values (often >1500Ω⋅cm2), which is essential for accurate modeling of restricted paracellular transport. We encourage you to contact our specialists for comparative data sets.
A: Our platform is versatile and optimized for screening virtually all CNS drug modalities, including small molecules, large therapeutic antibodies, recombinant proteins, and gene therapy delivery vectors (e.g., AAVs). The model allows for detailed analysis of passive diffusion, carrier-mediated transport, and efflux transporter kinetics (P-gp, BCRP).
A: We integrate human iPSC-derived cells and focus on replicating key human physiological markers (like tight junction proteins and transporter expression). By comparing the efflux ratios and permeability coefficients (Papp)against published human data, our platform offers the best predictive validity currently available in vitro. Let's discuss your specific drug target to demonstrate our correlation data.
A: Absolutely. The microfluidic design allows us to introduce inflammatory mediators or immune cells (e.g., microglia) into the model in a controlled manner, enabling the creation of disease-on-a-chip models that mimic pathology-induced barrier breakdown (e.g., in MS or Alzheimer's). This is critical for assessing drugs designed to treat inflammation.
A: While the system is robust, careful control of fluid flow rates and cell viability is necessary. We manage these factors as part of our service. For clients intending to implement the technology internally, we provide detailed training on maintaining optimal shear stress parameters and managing the potential for protein/drug non-specific adsorption common in microfluidic systems.

Our BBB-On-Chip Development Service provides the critical edge in neurotherapeutics R&D. By merging advanced microfluidics, 3D cell culture, and physiological relevance, we deliver accurate, reliable data that reduces risk and accelerates your path to the clinic.

Contact Our Team for More Information and to Discuss Your Project

Related Sections

Transwell based BBB Model Service

Reference

  1. Vetter, Johanna, et al. "Recent advances in blood-brain barrier-on-a-chip models." Acta Biomaterialia (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2025.03.041. Distributed under Open Access license CC BY 4.0, without modification.

For Research Use Only. Not For Clinical Use.

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