Organs on Chips

Harvard University's Wyss Institute is collaborating with the US Army's Edgewood Chemical Biological Center to further develop "organ on a chip" technology. These chips are small collections of human organ cells that can mimic the function of human organs; for example, the human lung cells can actually be kept alive with a blood flow, and are able to expand and contract with the help of two vacuum tunnels, further simulating the function of the human lung. Organs-on-chips can potentially be used to test prototypic treatments in a more effective manner than animal testing. 

The human Lung-on-a-chip (top) and Gut-on-a-chip (bottom). Researchers at the Wyss Institute hope to create ten different types of organ chips that will all interact with one another in a way that mimics the human body. Photo via Wyss Institute.

The organ-on-a-chip is see-through, which allows researchers clearer visibility of the interactions between chemicals and cell structures. The organs can experience a wide range of responses seen in the human body, such as inflammation and infection. At the top of the list of potential research benefits, organs-on-chips give researchers the opportunity to examine cellular interactions with harmful chemicals without harming animal test subjects. This offers the hope of developing treatments for soldiers and civilians exposed to chemical warfare in war zones. It is also a "paradigm-shifting" technology as far as the pharmaceutical world is concerned. These companies may one day find themselves partially, if not entirely, rid of the costly process of preclinical and clinical research thanks to organ-on-a-chip technology. Cosmetics companies may never have to use animal subjects for testing again.

A diagram explaining the way the Lung-on-a-chip mimics a real lung's breathing motions. The vacuums on the side chambers expand and contract, causing the tissue to stretch as human lung tissues would. Image via Nature.

As stated by the Wyss Institute, organs-on-chips can be utilized in many different markets, including chemical and nanotechnology industries, cosmetics research, animal health research, EPA and FDA regulatory and toxicity testing, and stem cell and regenerative companies. What has the defense and military industries excited is the opportunity to develop rapid testing of chemical, biological, and radiation countermeasures. The human body is far more complex than just ten chips can define, but the implementation and further development of this technology could one day revolutionize animal testing, clinical trials, and our understanding of the human body.