With a future rooted deeply in technology, it is only a matter of time until sectors like medicine merge completely with technology. the ideas of half-human half-robot may seem distant in the future, however the technology is a lot closer than we imagine. Let me introduce you to the future of technology, organs on a chip.
The researchers over at Harvard’s Wyss Institute have found a way to intertwine technology and medicine, by creating the first organs on a chip.
A functioning lung cell system embedded in a chip Image courtesy: Wyss institute
By using a microfluidic chip as a “cell membrane”, they have been able to create the most realistic cell environment; far more accurate than petri-dish experiments and significantly less subjective than animal testing. Organs on a cell work by using small channels inside the chip as well as a porous membrane to simulate a cell environment.
For the example of a lung cell on a chip, capillary cells are inserted on one side of the membrane, while air sac cells are inserted on the opposite side of the membrane. Blood and air flow can be simulated through the chip, as well as rhythmic strains can be exerted on the chip to simulate breathing and moving. Different chemicals and particles can be administered through the chip, mimicking similar situations to drug dosages and chemical encounters.
Cross section of a lung on a chip
Image courtesy: Wyss institute
The benefits of having different functioning organ cells on a chip are numerous, even with the technology currently in its early stages. Drugs could be tested on real human cells and provide real human responses, all without the dangers associated with human testing. The toxicity of different chemicals could be tested on human cells and the responses could be watched in real time, something that cannot be done accurately today. A large issue with drug testing today is that drug tests done on animals and adults differ greatly when administered to children. By testing cells on a chip that are from a child, we can get a better understanding how the drug will react to children, opposed to the current ambiguities associated with how a drug will react.
Imagine the possibilities of using a system of different cell types on a chip, all linked together forming a network similar to the human body. A system like this could eliminate the need for animal testing, and be far more accurate than working with human cells on a petri-dish. Organ cells on a chip could revolutionize the drug industry.
For more information on how this system works:
-Tony Caputo
