Approaches & Applications
Organ-on-chip and microphysiological systems for drug exposure, tissue interactions and human-relevant evaluation.
This collection covers organ-on-chip and related microphysiological systems used in drug research. Topics include tissue interfaces, exposure and transport, interactions between tissue models, and measurements of drug response.
The studies use different tissues, materials and experimental formats. Coverage identifies what each system was tested for and how its results were compared with a reference. Related method profiles bring together the model design, measurements and published validation evidence.
The 2026 prize and highly commended projects cover CAR T-cell evaluation, retinal gene therapy and human medulloblastoma models. The October announcement recognizes research published in earlier years.
A four-center NIH network is studying transporters in the placenta, mammary gland, pediatric intestine and brain. Its published overview describes how organoids, microphysiological systems and computational models contribute to that research strategy.
A microbe–gut–cartilage chip linked a probiotic-exposed intestinal module to human cartilage organoids. Five enriched metabolites were subsequently tested on cartilage organoids made from pooled cells from three osteoarthritis donors.
A two-compartment chip assembled from human primary cells maintained a measurable blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier for up to 15 days. Its first applications compared the distribution of free PEG species and transport of two reference drugs; the latter comparison does not yet establish broad predictive performance.
Two hiPSC-derived proximal tubule models show how transporter localization relates to directional drug transport and inhibitor responses. Transport activity and longer-term cell viability do not necessarily favor the same model.
A PFPE device improves recovery of intact midazolam and allows separate estimates of intestinal and hepatic availability. Those estimates remain above human reference values, indicating a need to improve metabolic activity in the system.
