Figure 3:

Overview of the three approaches to modeling immunity in vitro: ex vivo cultures, microfluidic devices, and engineered tissues. Ex vivo cultures, including slices and explants, preserve the tissue structure by removing live tissues from in vivo animals and culturing them. Microfluidic devices are versatile, miniaturized engineered platforms that incorporate fluid flow and provide dynamic control over the microenvironment. Engineered models can range from bioreactors to hydrogels, but typically incorporate a 3D extracellular matrix component and can include multiple cell types. Microfluidic devices can bridge the gap by incorporating slices or engineered tissues. (Small figure).