Abstract

Organs-on-Chips: Microengineered Systems for Safety Assessment & Disease Modeling

Geraldine A Hamilton, President/Chief Scientific Officer, Emulate

Microengineered Organs-Chips show physiological functions consistent with normal living human or animal cells in vivo. Each Organ-Chip is composed of a clear flexible polymer about the size of a AA battery that contains hollow channels lined by living human cells. The cells are cultured under continuous flow and mechanical forces thereby recreating key factors known to influence cell function in vivo.  Cells cultured  under continuously perfused, engineered 3D microenvironments go beyond conventional 3D in vitro models by recapitulating in vivo intercellular interactions, spatiotemporal gradients, vascular perfusion, and mechanical microenvironments. Integrating cells within Organs-on-Chips, enables the study of normal physiology and pathophysiology in an organ-specific context. We have developed different Organ-Chips, such as, Liver-Chip, Lung-Chip, and Intestine-Chip.  We have further demonstrated new advancements in functionality of these systems and their potential across multiple applications relevant to drug discovery and development including: understanding disease mechanisms, efficacy testing, safety assessment, and in de-risking mechanistic concerns using various organ systems. In this presentation, we highlight data to demonstrate the utility of the system for understanding disease mechanisms and predicting safety of drugs.