Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 1, 2025
10:05
The Multi-organ Chip - A Microfluidic Platform for Long-term Multi-tissue Coculture
Published on: April 28, 2015
28.8K
Microfluidic Liver-on-a-Chip for Preclinical Drug Discovery
Jingyu Fu1, Hailong Qiu2, Cherie S Tan1
1Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
Pharmaceutics
|April 28, 2023
Summary
Liver-on-a-chip (LoC) platforms offer a microfluidic solution to improve drug discovery efficiency by predicting drug metabolism and toxicity. This technology enhances preclinical research by simulating the liver
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Pharmacology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Drug discovery is a costly, lengthy, and uncertain process.
- Predicting drug metabolism and toxicity is crucial for preclinical drug development.
- The liver plays a key role in drug efficacy and potential side effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the application of liver-on-a-chip (LoC) platforms in drug discovery.
- To discuss the simulation of the liver microenvironment using LoC technology.
- To summarize the use of LoC in preclinical pharmacological and toxicological assessments.
Main Methods:
- Microfluidic technology enables the creation of LoC platforms.
- LoC systems incorporate specific cell compositions to mimic liver physiology.
- LoC platforms can be integrated with other organ-on-chip models for PK/PD studies.
Main Results:
- LoC platforms effectively predict drug metabolism and hepatotoxicity.
- These systems provide insights into pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) performance.
- LoC aids in screening lead molecules and identifying toxic compounds early.
Conclusions:
- LoC technology significantly enhances the efficiency of preclinical drug development.
- Further research into LoC limitations can refine its application in drug discovery.
- LoC platforms represent a promising advancement for reducing drug development costs and timelines.
