Health UK (Commonwealth Union) – In the ever-evolving landscape of medical research, a groundbreaking technology is quietly but dramatically changing the way we study diseases, test drugs, and understand the intricacies of the human body. Known as “organ-on-a-chip,” this innovative approach has the potential to transform the way we conduct research and develop treatments. Organ-on-a-chip technology, often referred to as microphysiological systems or microfluidic devices, originated from the need to bridge the gap between traditional in vitro (cell culture) and in vivo (animal) studies. Researchers sought a more accurate, efficient, and ethical way to model human organs and their functions. This technology involves the creation of microscale devices that mimic the structure and function of real organs.
Scientists across the world are working on linking different organ-on-a-chip models to create interconnected systems that more accurately represent the complexities of the human body. Presently organ-on-a-chip technology is undeniably exciting. As the technology matures and becomes more accessible, it has the potential to revolutionize drug development, disease modeling, and personalized medicine. It could reduce the reliance on animal testing, make drug trials more efficient, and lead to safer and more effective treatments.
Scientists from Queen Mary University of London have pioneered an innovative organ-on-a-chip model replicating the human synovium, a vital tissue that lines our joints. This breakthrough, detailed in the Biomedical Materials journal, offers promising prospects for enhancing our comprehension of arthritis’s underlying mechanisms and the development of fresh therapeutic approaches to tackle these incapacitating conditions.
The researchers of the study point out that arthritis affects over 10 million individuals in the United Kingdom, causing joint-related pain, stiffness, and swelling. Despite its widespread prevalence, there is currently no cure for arthritis, and the quest for novel treatments is hampered by the scarcity of precise disease models.
The novel synovium-on-a-chip model is a three-dimensional microfluidic system, housing both human synovial cells and blood vessel cells. What sets this innovative platform apart is its ability to simulate the mechanical forces that the synovium experiences during joint movement, thereby mirroring real-world conditions.
Remarkably, the developed synovium-on-a-chip model has demonstrated the capacity to replicate the behavior of native human synovium. It successfully produces essential synovial fluid components and exhibits responsiveness to inflammation. These results signify the enormous potential of this cutting-edge technology in facilitating the study of disease mechanisms and the identification and evaluation of novel therapies for various arthritic diseases.
“Our model is the first human, vascularised, synovium-on-a-chip model with applied mechanical loading and successfully replicates a number of key features of native synovium biology,” explained Dr Timothy Hopkins, Versus Arthritis Foundation Fellow as well as a joint lead author of the study. “The model was developed upon a commercially available platform (Emulate Inc.), that allows for widespread adoption without the need for specialist knowledge of chip fabrication. The vascularised synovium-on-a-chip can act as a foundational model for academic research, with which fundamental questions can be addressed, and complexity (further cell and tissue types) can be added. In addition, we envisage that our model could eventually form part of the drug discovery pipeline in an industrial setting. Some of these conversations have already commenced.”
At present, the researchers are employing the synovium-on-a-chip model to investigate the underlying disease mechanisms of arthritis and to create tailored and personalized organ-on-a-chip models that encompass the human synovium and its associated tissues.
Professor Martin Knight, a distinguished expert in Mechanobiology indicated that they are confident that their synovium-on-a-chip model, along with the human joint models currently in progress within the laboratory, holds the promise of revolutionizing pre-clinical testing. He also stated that this advancement stands to streamline the introduction of novel therapeutic approaches for arthritis, where their enthusiasm lies in sharing this model with the scientific community and collaborating with industry partners to expedite the delivery of innovative treatments to patients.
