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Which Concepts Are Key to Transitioning From Nonhuman Animal Models to Engineered Microphysiological Systems in
1Teaching fellow at Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics, visiting postgraduate research fellow in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and associate fellow at the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics.
Abstract:
A transition from nonhuman animal models to engineered microphysiological systems (MPS), such as organoids and organ-on-a-chip technologies, would signal a paradigm shift in biomedical research. Despite MPS' potential to more accurately model human physiology, reduce high failure rates of drugs in clinical trials, and limit unnecessary animal use, widespread adoption is hampered by public opinion and lack of scalability, standardization, and current regulatory uptake. This article suggests how 5 key concepts (awareness, access, education, application, and rewards) could help address these barriers. These concepts are part of a framework that underscores a need to integrate MPS into mainstream biomedical research and to better promote ethical responsibility for the means of biomedical innovation.
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