Abstract

The Impact of Integrated Multi-Organ-Chip Systems in Substance Testing: Progress and Future Outlook

Reyk Horland, CEO, TissUse GmbH

Microphysiological systems (MPS) are complex cell culture models, which mimic an organ, or defined parts of an organ, in aspects of structure and function. MPS typically consist of several cell types, which are spatially and functionally organized similar to their organization in a normal organ. Integrated microfluidic MPS in particular have proven to be a powerful tool for recreating human tissue- and organ-like functions at research level, providing the basis for the establishment of qualified preclinical assays with improved predictive power. However, industrial adoption of microphysiological systems and respective assays is progressing slowly due to their complexity. In the first part of the presentation examples of established single-organ chip, two-organ and four-organ chip solutions are highlighted. The underlying universal microfluidic Multi-Organ-Chip (MOC) platform of a size of a microscopic slide integrating an on-chip micro-pump and capable to interconnect different organ equivalents will be presented. Issues to ensure long-term performance and industrial acceptance of MPS, such as design criteria, tissue supply and on chip tissue homeostasis will be discussed. The second part of the presentation focusses on the establishment of automated MOC-based assays as a robust tool for safety and efficacy testing of drug candidates. These automated assays will allow for increased throughput and higher inter-laboratory reproducibility thus eventually enabling broad industrial implementation. Finally, an outlook will be given on how these automated systems can be used for on-chip clinical trials as well as personalized medicine testing.