Multi-Organs-on-Chips for Testing Small-Molecule Drugs: Challenges and Perspectives.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Pharmacology
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) technology is pivotal for small-molecule drug screening and regulatory testing.
• The development of multi-organ-on-a-chip (MOC) systems aims to better recapitulate complex drug-body interactions.
• OOC technology is poised to accelerate the discovery of novel therapeutics and drug combinations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current MOC applications in small-molecule drug screening.
• To examine the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) processes within MOCs.
• To discuss cost-effective and scalable materials for MOC development suitable for high-throughput screening.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing MOC technologies for drug screening.
• Analysis of MOC designs focusing on recapitulating physiological processes.
• Evaluation of material properties for low-cost, scalable MOC fabrication.

Main Results:

• MOCs offer a platform to study drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) dynamically.
• Various materials are being explored for MOCs to balance performance, cost, and scalability.
• Current MOCs are advancing towards high-performance analysis and commercial high-throughput screening.

Conclusions:

• MOC technology is a promising tool for enhancing small-molecule drug discovery and development.
• Further research into materials and designs will optimize MOCs for commercial applications.
• MOCs are expected to play a significant role in accelerating therapeutic development and regulatory evaluation.