Organ-on-chip technology: Opportunities and challenges

Organ-on-chip technology: Opportunities and challenges

2024 | Santosh Kumar Srivastava, Guo Wei Foo, Nikhil Aggarwal, Matthew Wook Chang
Organ-on-chip (OOC) technology is a promising innovation that replicates human organ structures and functions on microfluidic platforms, offering detailed insights into physiological processes. This technology provides unique advantages over conventional in vitro and in vivo models and has the potential to become the new standard for biomedical research and drug screening. OOCs can mimic the physiological attributes of human organs, enabling more accurate drug discovery and personalized medicine. Compared to traditional 2D/3D cell culture models, OOCs offer better replication of physiological complexity and can regulate fluid movements to simulate mechanical stimuli. OOCs also provide real-time visualization and quantitative analysis of human biological processes, making them more effective than animal models in predicting human responses. OOC technology has been applied in various biomedical research areas, including the study of lung, liver, kidney, gut, and other organ functions. For example, lung-on-chip models have been used to study SARS-CoV-2 infection, while liver-on-chip models have been used to investigate non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Kidney-on-chip models have been used to assess drug-induced nephrotoxicity, and gut-on-chip models have been used to study gastrointestinal disorders and coronavirus infections. Advanced OOC technology includes multi-organ-on-chip (MOC) systems that integrate multiple organs into a single device to study systemic interactions. These systems offer a more comprehensive understanding of drug responses and disease mechanisms. However, challenges remain in the development of OOC and MOC technology, including the need for standardized protocols, the development of blood mimetic media, and the balance of organ sizes and inter-organ transportation rates. Despite these challenges, OOC technology continues to develop rapidly and holds great promise for the future of biomedical research, drug discovery, and personalized medicine. The integration of OOCs with advanced analytical instruments and imaging technologies is expected to create more accurate and comprehensive models of human physiology and disease.Organ-on-chip (OOC) technology is a promising innovation that replicates human organ structures and functions on microfluidic platforms, offering detailed insights into physiological processes. This technology provides unique advantages over conventional in vitro and in vivo models and has the potential to become the new standard for biomedical research and drug screening. OOCs can mimic the physiological attributes of human organs, enabling more accurate drug discovery and personalized medicine. Compared to traditional 2D/3D cell culture models, OOCs offer better replication of physiological complexity and can regulate fluid movements to simulate mechanical stimuli. OOCs also provide real-time visualization and quantitative analysis of human biological processes, making them more effective than animal models in predicting human responses. OOC technology has been applied in various biomedical research areas, including the study of lung, liver, kidney, gut, and other organ functions. For example, lung-on-chip models have been used to study SARS-CoV-2 infection, while liver-on-chip models have been used to investigate non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Kidney-on-chip models have been used to assess drug-induced nephrotoxicity, and gut-on-chip models have been used to study gastrointestinal disorders and coronavirus infections. Advanced OOC technology includes multi-organ-on-chip (MOC) systems that integrate multiple organs into a single device to study systemic interactions. These systems offer a more comprehensive understanding of drug responses and disease mechanisms. However, challenges remain in the development of OOC and MOC technology, including the need for standardized protocols, the development of blood mimetic media, and the balance of organ sizes and inter-organ transportation rates. Despite these challenges, OOC technology continues to develop rapidly and holds great promise for the future of biomedical research, drug discovery, and personalized medicine. The integration of OOCs with advanced analytical instruments and imaging technologies is expected to create more accurate and comprehensive models of human physiology and disease.
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Understanding Organ-on-chip technology%3A Opportunities and challenges