Organs-on-chips: research and commercial perspectives

Traditional preclinical drug testing methods utilize animal models to predict pharmacology and toxicology profiles. However, the data obtained from such methods cannot be directly extrapolated to humans and often do not provide a safe starting dose for first-in-human studies. To overcome these limitations, researchers have developed organs-on-chips - microfluidic devices that can mimic the cellular architecture and physiology more accurately than conventional methods. Because accurate organ-level interactions can be achieved with these devices, they have the potential to provide a realistic determination of a drug's pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and toxicity profile. In this review, we describe the evolution of the technology and provide an overview of its current applications. We also discuss the current industry and government initiatives in promoting further research on organs-on chips for potential use during drug development.