Current in vitro practices must overcome important challenges to compare favorably with human studies. The limited applicability of conventional in vitro assays and strategies can be explained by the fact that standard approaches do not enable recapitulation of the complexity of human tissues and physiological functions. To address this challenge, novel bioengineering tools, techniques and technologies are rapidly emerging to advance current fundamental knowledge and innovate in vitro practices. For example, organs-on-a-chip have recently appeared as a small-scale solution to overcome the transability, financial and ethical concerns associated with animal studies in drug discovery and development. In parallel, biomimetic interfaces are increasingly recapitulating 3D structures with tissue-like dynamic properties to allow in-depth investigation of disease mechanisms. This review aims at highlighting current bioengineering approaches poised to address the shortcomings of conventional in vitro research practices towards the generation of more effective solutions for improving human health.

当前的体外实践必须克服重要的挑战才能与人体研究相媲美。常规体外测定法和策略的适用性有限，可以通过以下事实来解释：标准方法无法概括人类组织的复杂性和生理功能。为了应对这一挑战，新颖的生物工程工具，技术和工艺正在迅速出现，以促进当前的基础知识并在体外进行创新。实践。例如，片上器官最近作为一种小规模的解决方案而出现，它可以克服与药物发现和开发中的动物研究相关的可移植性，财务和道德问题。同时，仿生界面越来越多地概括具有组织动态特性的3D结构，以允许深入研究疾病机理。这篇综述旨在强调当前的生物工程方法，旨在解决常规体外研究实践在产生更有效的解决方案以改善人类健康方面的缺点。