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REVIEW ARTICLE

Advances in in vitro blood–brain barrier models: Integrating bioprinting with microfluidic chips for compound evaluation

Yating Du1,2 ,  Zezhi Li2 ,  Xiang Li2* ,  Jianping Xie2*
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1 Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
2 Beijing Life Science Academy, Beijing 102209, China
IJB, 025270265 https://doi.org/10.36922/IJB025270265
Received: 3 July 2025 | Accepted: 8 August 2025 | Published online: 15 August 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

The blood–brain barrier (BBB), a vital defense interface of the central nervous system, selectively regulates molecular transport into the brain and maintains brain homeostasis. Disruption of BBB integrity contributes to various neurological diseases, making the BBB a key target for therapeutic compounds. However, traditional in vitro models struggle to recreate the BBB’s complex structure and dynamic functions. Recent advances in microfluidics and three-dimensional bioprinting have enabled the construction of high-fidelity in vitro BBB models that recapitulate key aspects of the brain’s vascular microenvironment. By integrating principles from materials science, microfabrication, and cell biology, these “BBB‑on‑a‑chip” platforms support physiologically relevant shear stress, cell–cell interactions, and barrier properties, making them powerful tools for compound screening and mechanistic research. This review summarizes the advances in in vitro BBB models and the application of bioprinting and microfluidic technology for compound evaluation.  

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Bioprinting
Blood–brain barrier
Compound evaluation
In vitro model
Microfluidic chip
Funding
This work was supported by the Beijing Life Science Academy (2024400CB0060) and (2023600CA0080).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing
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