Fabrication and development of a blood-brain barrier microfluidic chip to mimic the brain vasculature

This thesis demonstrates fabrication and development of a microfluidic model of blood-brain barrier  (BBB).  This  kind  of  microphysiological  system  or  organ-on-chip  exhibits  a  physical and  biochemical  microenvironment  similar  to  in  vivo.  The  BBB  model  with  Cayley-tree geometry  fabricated  using  Hele-Shaw  cell  has  heterogeneous  shear  stress  within  a  singular system. Heterogeneous shear stress contributes to the formation and maintenance of the barrier. Transcytosis  of  a  model  drug  across  the  barrier  and  mimicking  neuroinflammation  under dynamic conditions validates the use of this BBB model for drug testing and disease modelling, respectively. This BBB model has potential for replacing the use of animals.