Tomorrow today: organ-on-a-chip advances towards clinically relevant pharmaceutical and medical in vitro models

Abstract

Organ-on-a-chip technology offers the potential to recapitulate human physiology by keepinghuman cells in a precisely controlled and artificial tissue-like microenvironment. The current andpotential advantages of organ-on-chips over conventional cell cultures systems and animal modelshave captured the attention of scientists, clinicians and policymakers as well as advocacy groupsin the past few years. Recent advances in tissue engineering and stem cell research are also aidingthe development of clinically relevant chip-based organ and diseases models with organ levelphysiology for drug screening, biomedical research and personalized medicine. Here, the latestadvances in organ-on-a-chip technology are reviewed and future clinical applications discussed.