/wion/media/agency_attachments/2024/12/26/2024-12-26t112006978z-wion-white-logo-for-website-2-1.png){kind=logo}
/wion/media/agency_attachments/2024/12/13/2024-12-13t071548098z-wionlogo.webp)
/wion/media/post_attachments/files/2023/12/30/402564-untitled-design-1.png)
Edinburgh
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have developed a 3D-printed device that mimics a medicine's effect on a patient's body and can eliminate the need for animal testing. According to a report by The Guardian on Thursday (Dec 28), the 3D-printed “body-on-chip” perfectly mimics how a medicine flows through a patient’s body. The chip would allow scientists to test medicines to see how different organs react without the need for live animal testing.
Every year, thousands of animals are used in the early stages of developing medicines worldwide. However, many medicines tested on animals do not end up showing any clinical benefits. The body-on-chip can end this testing method.
How does the chip work?
As per the report, the chip's five components replicate the human heart, lungs, kidney, liver, and brain. They are connected by channels that mimic the circulatory system, through which the medicines can be pumped.
The chip uses positron emission tomography (PET) scanning to produce detailed 3D images showing what is going on inside the organs. A PET scan is an imaging test that produces images of human organs and tissues at work. It involves an injection of a safe radioactive tracer that helps detect diseased cells. This type of scan detects early signs of cancer, heart disease, and brain conditions.
“The PET imagery is what allows us to ensure the flow [of new drugs being tested] is even,” Liam Carr, the inventor of the body-on-chip, told The Guardian.
‘A valuable tool’
“This device is the first to be designed specifically for measuring drug distribution, with an even flow paired with organ compartments that are large enough to sample drug uptake for mathematical modelling," Carr said.
He added the chip could be a valuable tool for investigating various human diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Meanwhile, Carr’s supervisor, Dr Adriana Tavares said that linking five organs together on one device would help scientists effectively study how a new medicine might affect a patient’s whole body.
"This device shows really strong potential to reduce the large number of animals that are used worldwide for testing drugs and other compounds, particularly in the early stages, where only 2% of compounds progress through the discovery pipeline,” Dr Tavares told the publication.
(With inputs from agencies)