Development of Organs-on-Chips and Their Impact on Precision Medicine and Advanced System Simulation

Drugs may undergo costly preclinical studies but still fail to demonstrate their efficacy in clinical trials, which makes it challenging to discover new drugs. Both in vitro and in vivo models are essential for disease research and therapeutic development. However, these models cannot simulate the physiological and pathological environment in the human body, resulting in limited drug detection and inaccurate disease modelling, failing to provide valid guidance for clinical application. Organs-on-chips (OCs) are devices that serve as a micro-physiological system or a tissue-on-a-chip; they provide accurate insights into certain functions and the pathophysiology of organs to precisely predict the safety and efficiency of drugs in the body. OCs are faster, more economical, and more precise. Thus, they are projected to become a crucial addition to, and a long-term replacement for, traditional preclinical cell cultures, animal studies, and even human clinical trials. This paper first outlines the nature of OCs and their significance, and then details their manufacturing-related materials and methodology. It also discusses applications of OCs in drug screening and disease modelling and treatment, and presents the future perspective of OCs.

Automated summary

Drugs that pass expensive preclinical studies may still fail to prove their efficacy in clinical trials, making it challenging to discover new drugs. Organs-on-chips (OCs) provide accurate insights into organ functions and pathophysiology, allowing for precise prediction of drug safety and effectiveness in the body. OCs are faster, more economical, and more precise than traditional preclinical cell cultures, animal studies, and even human clinical trials. This paper outlines the nature and significance of OCs, discusses their manufacturing materials and methodology, explores their applications in drug screening and disease modeling and treatment, and presents their future perspective.