The role of microfluidic systems in disease modeling and tissue engineering

Accurate simulation of the complexities of diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders, cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases remains highly challenging when using animal models and two-dimensional cell culture systems due to their inherent limitations in reproducing dynamic microenvironments and multicellular interactions. Microfluidic systems, particularly organ-on-a-chip (OoC) technology, provide advanced solutions for disease modeling and tissue engineering. By precisely reconstructing physiological microenvironments, establishing controlled chemical gradients, applying mechanical forces, and generating dynamic three-dimensional architectures, these platforms enable effective simulation of complex cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix interactions. Key advantages of these systems include reduced sample consumption, increased throughput, lower experimental costs, and enhanced predictive power of preclinical models. In addition, improved experimental reproducibility and the capability for multi-organ integration represent important features of these technologies. These platforms have opened new horizons in studying disease mechanisms, drug screening, and the advancement of personalized medicine. This review focuses on three main areas: disease modeling, tissue engineering, and their applications in cancer, neurological, cardiovascular, pulmonary, hepatic, bone, intestinal, brain, and kidney diseases.