To gain a better insight into the mechanisms of the human disease calls for stable and reliable in vitro and in vivo models to reproduce the physiological and pathophysiological processes of human tissues and organs. Cellular and animal models provide critical tools for modeling the human condition, but due to the deficiencies of these methods, we may fail to comprehend the human diseases accurately. Organoids originate from the stem cells based on the cellular self-organization and development principles, and are similar to the native organs in structure and functions. However, most organoids can not mimic the functions of the mature organs due to lacking controllable biochemical and biophysical stimulations. Organ-on-a-Chip is an emerging cutting-edge technology in the last decade by culturing multiple cells on the microfluidic chips to model the physiological and pathological microenvironments of the organs veritably. This technology provides three dimensional microphysiological systems with the tissue-tissue interface and the multiple physicochemical stimulations. Organoid-on-a-Chips, the integration of the organoids with the organ-on-a-chip technology, provide a better biomimetic environment for the traditional organoid culture system and avoid the shortage of the conventional organoid technology. The organoid-on-a-Chip technology promises to be a potential in vitro disease model. In this review, we focus on the construction of disease models on the organoid-on-a-chip and the research advances in the disease mechanism. We also discuss the current obstacles and the future trend of this technology.

organ-on-a-chip  /  organoid-on-a-chip  /  microfluidics  /  disease models  /  personalized treatment