Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston MA, created an Organ-on-a-Chip cell culture device using microchip manufacturing methods. The device is the size of a computer memory stick, and contains hollow channels lined with living cells and tissues that mimic organ-level physiology not possible with conventional culture systems, while permitting real-time analysis of biochemical, genetic, and metabolic activities within individual cells.
The Wyss Institute team also developed an instrument to automate the Organs-on-Chips, and to link them together by flowing medium that mimics blood to create a “Human-Body-on-Chips” and better replicate whole body-level responses, which could better allow more predictive and useful measures of the efficacy and safety of potential new drugs, chemicals, and cosmetics, at the same time reducing the need for traditional animal testing.
The technology will be commercialized by a newly formed start-up Emulate Inc., following a worldwide license agreement between Harvard’s Office of Technology Development.
"This is a big win towards achieving our Institute's mission of transforming medicine and the environment by developing breakthrough technologies and facilitating their translation from the benchtop to the marketplace," said Wyss Institute Founding Director Don Ingber, MD, PhD, and leader of the Wyss Institute's Organs-on-Chips effort.
Since their 2010 creation of the human breathing lung-on-a-chip, Ingber and his team have developed more than ten different Organs-on-Chip models, including chips that mimic liver, gut, kidney, and bone marrow.
