[Current status of MPS research toward social implementation]

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Regenerative Medicine
• Toxicology

Background:

• Stem cell technology and culture systems have advanced significantly, enabling the creation of in vitro tissue/organ models that closely replicate in vivo functions.
• Microphysiological systems (MPS) represent a major global effort to advance in vitro testing methodologies.
• The development of MPS devices is nearing completion, shifting the focus towards creating predictive systems and assessing their real-world applicability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the current stage of microphysiological system (MPS) development and its future directions.
• To emphasize the shift towards building predictive capabilities for MPS applications, particularly in drug discovery.
• To underscore the importance of collaboration between developers, users, and regulatory bodies.

Main Methods:

• Focus on the development and refinement of microphysiological system (MPS) devices.
• Emphasis on constructing predictive models using MPS data.
• Evaluation of MPS applicability within specific contexts of use (CoU), such as pharmaceutical drug discovery.

Main Results:

• The development of MPS devices as culture systems is largely complete globally.
• The current emphasis is on developing predictive systems and evaluating their applicability for specific uses.
• Increased collaboration is occurring between MPS developers, users, and regulatory authorities.

Conclusions:

• Microphysiological systems (MPS) are advancing towards sophisticated in vitro models with in vivo relevance.
• The future of MPS lies in predictive system construction and validation for diverse applications.
• Continued academic research and stakeholder collaboration are crucial for advancing MPS and promoting alternatives to animal experimentation.