New device may replace drug animal testing

  Recently, a scientific research team led by associate professor Luo Yong at Dalian University of Technology and Lin Bingcheng, a researcher at Dalian Institute of Physics, has developed a multifunctional organoid microfluidic device that integrates a variety of cells and tissues. This device initially has the function of animals in drug trials An important step has been taken to replace preclinical animal testing.

  At present, preclinical trials of drugs mainly rely on models. "Whether it is computer simulation or simple cell culture, it is a simple drug test model. Although it is low cost, it is far from the real physiological environment in the living body. The results are often partial and the accuracy is not high, and can only be used for preliminary screening. Although the results of animal experiments are more credible than in vitro experiments, they are not completely applicable to humans and the cost is relatively high.” Luo Yong said.

  In order to be closer to the actual physiological and pathological research model, the new device developed by the Luo Yong team consists of several basic modules connected from top to bottom: including absorption module, liver metabolism module, distribution module, drug effect module and elimination module, etc., each module All are composed of microchannels and membrane structures or tissues with related biological functions, connected by microfluidics, powered by a peristaltic pump, forming a closed circulating fluid that simulates body fluids, and can monitor the changes of chip drugs or target biomarkers in real time, and The types of cells and tissues and the stacking order of the modules can be changed as needed to detect changes in drugs and multiple biomarkers. "The device can simultaneously measure the pharmacokinetic parameters such as drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination, and evaluate the anti-tumor and liver toxicity of the drug. It initially has the function of the animal in the experiment and is a microfluidic tissue organ device. Drug preclinical research provides a new strategy." Luo Yong said.