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Organs-on-Chips Allow New Views of Human Biology

The article is about the development of functional human organs on a chip. The first organ created on a chip was a lung in 2010. Then they were created miniature models of the liver, kidney, heart, bone marrow and cornea. Each organ-on-chip is made of a flexible, translucent polymer connected with microfluidic tubes lined with human cell taken from the organ of interest. When nutrients, blood and test compounds such as experimental drugs are pumped through the tubes, the cells replicate some of the key functions of a living organ. The ability of emulate functions of organs make them useful to test drugs, and to run individualized treatments, when using cells from the patients.
I choose this article because I interested in how technology evolve the medical field and promise solve great issues. Organs-on-chips can reduce animal experimentation on pharmaceutical industry because organs-on-chip can give a more reliable information than animal trials.

Al-Rohad, N. (2013). Organs-on-Chips Allow New Views of Human Biology. Scientific American. Retrieved March 9, 2018, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/organs-on-chips-allow-new-views-of-human-biology/.

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 27, 2018 at 4:41 PM

    I had to look up what this organ on chip looked look and I have to say I'm fascinated! I wonder that is lacking in these that would differ them to work in the human body as replacement organs? I understand it is more for testing but do you think that with the right modifications and testing that these may be able to be implanted lets say in place of a failing kidney? I'll definitely have to look more into these and I'd love your opinion!
    -Brooke Legeman

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