5. The benefits of organ-on-chip

Once the active molecule has been optimized and formulated, the treatment must be evaluated on cells, tissues and then whole organisms, to verify its safety and efficacy, before it can eventually be tested on humans in clinical trials. Traditionally, these tests have involved two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures, followed by animal trials. 2D cell cultures are not very good models of the in vivo cell environment, as they cannot mimic cell-cell and cell-environment interactions, they do not respect the gradients (gases and nutrients) present in tissues, and they cannot recreate the specific architecture of certain tissues. All this leads to changes in cell morphology and in the expression of genes, proteins and receptors, altering proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, migration and cell death, all properties that are crucial for assessing the activity and safety of new therapeutic molecules...