Organs-on-chips Provide Insights into Molecular Mechanisms of Disease and Facilitate the Design of Newer Treatment Strategies: A Concise Review

Abstract

Although multiple intricate and drawn-out in vivo investigations and complex in vitro assays are carried out as a part of the routine safety screening of drugs, medication failures arising out of safety-related issues continue to be an area of concern for pharmaceutical operations. Some of these failures may be explained by a lack of mathematical models to translate animal data into human data. Moreover, there may be differences in the sensitivity and drug disposition between humans and animals. Microphysiological systems may offer a way to more accurately represent these target tissues and a chance to better evaluate certain facets of human safety. As such, the ability of organs-on-chips to provide information at various development phases in drug discovery has sparked interest in recent years. This cutting-edge technology may aid in shedding light on the functioning of human organs and the pathophysiology of diseases. Also, they can be used to accurately predict the efficacy and safety of experimental medications in humans. Organs-on-chips know-how has been employed to successfully imitate specific nephron components including but not limited to the glomeruli, proximal as well as distal tubules, and collecting duct, all of which can be used in the testing of drugs for genetic kidney disorders. This review includes an overview of this technology along with some of its applications, challenges, and recommendations for the future.