Synergic efforts in microfabrication processes, cells culture and tissue engineering promoted extraordinary progress in Organ-on-Chip (OoC) technology, leading to the development of in vitro microphysiological models able to recapitulate the microenvironment and key biochemical, functional, structural and mechanical features of specific tissues and living organs. In order to assess the functionality of these cell cultures with every increasing biological complexity, it is also important to equip OoCs with miniaturized sensing devices able to monitor key physical and chemical parameters related to the culture microenvironment and to pathophysiological cell-cell interactions. Gut is one of the most interesting and studied human organs: it performs multiple fundamental body functions, from transport, absorption and metabolism of nutrients and drugs, to the maturation of the immune system and host protection from pathogens and infections. In this Review, an overview of Gut-on-Chip (GoC) systems is provided, with a special attention focused on the most relevant sensing strategies integrated into GoC, aimed at monitoring in situ the microphysiological parameters related to intestine functionalities. Advantages and limitations associated with currently integrated physical, chemical, and biochemical sensors are discussed, together with the challenges that the technology still faces, and the possible adaptive solutions coming from other developed OoC models. Finally, we focus the attention on how gut microbiota connect to other organs of the human body and on the role of gut in the understanding of the progression of many diseases, such as the most recent pandemic infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus.

微加工过程、细胞培养和组织工程方面的协同努力促进了器官芯片 (OoC) 技术的非凡进步，导致了体外能够概括特定组织和活器官的微环境和关键生化、功能、结构和机械特征的微生理模型。为了评估这些细胞培养物的功能，随着生物复杂性的增加，为 OoC 配备微型传感设备也很重要，这些传感设备能够监测与培养微环境和病理生理学细胞间相互作用相关的关键物理和化学参数。肠道是最有趣和研究最多的人体器官之一：它执行多种基本的身体功能，从营养物质和药物的运输、吸收和代谢，到免疫系统的成熟以及宿主免受病原体和感染的侵害。在这篇评论中，提供了对芯片内胆 (GoC) 系统的概述，原位与肠道功能相关的微生理参数。讨论了与当前集成的物理、化学和生化传感器相关的优势和局限性，以及该技术仍然面临的挑战，以及来自其他开发的 OoC 模型的可能的自适应解决方案。最后，我们将注意力集中在肠道微生物群如何与人体其他器官连接以及肠道在了解许多疾病进展中的作用，例如最近由 SARS-CoV-2 病毒引起的大流行感染。