UK aims high for organ on a chip technology

Several academic, industrial and regulatory biomedical research centres came together last month to propel the UK into the race to advance organ on a chip technology.

Medicines Discovery Catapult, the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Drug Safety Science (CDSS), based at the University of Liverpool, and the National Centre for the Replacement Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), are combining forces to bring together experts from the field of organ on a chip technology (OOAC) at the Sensor City in Liverpool.

Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed of the MRC Centre for Drug Safety Studies at the University of Liverpool said: “The OOAC technology will provide human data not currently available until Phase I and Phase II clinical trials that is crucial for scientists to understand both harmful and beneficial effects of drugs. It is vital that the UK becomes a leading participant to improve our ability to screen and withdraw drugs that are not viable candidates earlier in the drug development process.”

OOAC technology has the potential to revolutionise the way we approach drug discovery. OOAC systems are the creation of representative 3D human organs linked by microfluidic channels on chips the size of USB sticks. It is possible to re-create functionality from many organs including lungs, kidneys, heart, brain and skin. Although still in its infancy, the technology is widely used and researched in the US and across Europe. Today marks a key opportunity for the UK’s scientific community.

The event aimed to establish an understanding of existing OOAC technology and capabilities, specifically within the UK, and define a plan of action and strategy to advance. A white paper is to be produced summarising the conclusions and future directions.

Dr Peter Simpson, Chief Scientific Officer of the Medicines Discovery Catapult, said: “We recognise that OOAC models are an expensive and specialist technology, inaccessible to much of the UK’s SME community whose work is essential to identify potential new drugs and advance medicine for patients. Our role is to support these communities, whilst helping to ensure the UK remains at the heart of scientific innovation, which is why we are committed to establishing access to specialist OOAC technology here at our facility at the Medicines Discovery Catapult in Cheshire.”