Development of a human malaria-on-a-chip disease model for drug efficacy and off-target toxicity evaluation

AURA: Accelerating drug discovery with accuracy, utility, and rank-order assessment for data-driven decision making

Biopharmaceutical companies generate a wealth of data, ranging from in silico physicochemical properties and machine learning models to both low and high-throughput in vitro assays and in vivo studies. To effectively harnesses this extensive data, we introduce a statistical methodology facilitated by Accuracy, Utility, and Rank Order Assessment (AURA), which combines basic statistical analyses with dynamic data visualizations to evaluate endpoint effectiveness in predicting intestinal absorption. We demonstrated that various physicochemical properties uniquely influence intestinal absorption on a project-specific basis, considering factors like intestinal efflux, passive permeability, and clearance. Projects within both the "Rule of 5" (Ro5) and beyond "Rule of 5" (bRo5) space present unique absorption challenges, emphasizing the need for tailored optimization strategies over one-size-fits-all approaches. This is corroborated by the improved accuracy of project-specific correlations over global models. The differences in correlations between and within project teams-due to their unique chemical spaces-highlight how complex and nuanced the prediction of intestinal absorption can be. Here, we implement a standardized methodology, AURA, that any organization can incorporate into their workflow to enhance early-stage drug optimization. By automating analytics, integrating diverse data types, and offering flexible visualizations, AURA enables cross-functional teams to make data-driven decisions, optimize workflows, and enhance research efficiency.

Modelling the innate immune system in microphysiological systems

This critical review aims to highlight how modeling of the immune response has adapted over time to utilize microphysiological systems. Topics covered here will discuss the integral components of the immune system in various human body systems, and how these interactions are modeled using these systems. Through the use of microphysiological systems, we have not only expanded on foundations of basic immune cell information, but have also gleaned insight on how immune cells work both independently and collaboratively within an entire human body system.

An update on microfluidic multi-organ-on-a-chip systems for reproducing drug pharmacokinetics: the current state-of-the-art

INTRODUCTION

Advances in the accessibility of manufacturing technologies and iPSC-based modeling have accelerated the overall progress of organs-on-a-chip. Notably, the progress in multi-organ systems is not progressing with equal speed, indicating that there are still major technological barriers to overcome that may include biological relevance, technological usability as well as overall accessibility.

AREAS COVERED

We here review the progress in the field of multi-tissue- and body-on-a-chip pre and post- SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and review five selected studies with increasingly complex multi-organ chips aiming at pharmacological studies.

EXPERT OPINION

We discuss future and necessary advances in the field of multi-organ chips including how to overcome challenges regarding cell diversity, improved culture conditions, model translatability as well as sensor integrations to enable microsystems to cover organ-organ interactions in not only toxicokinetic but more importantly pharmacodynamic and -kinetic studies.

Organ-on-chip models for infectious disease research

Research on microbial pathogens has traditionally relied on animal and cell culture models to mimic infection processes in the host. Over recent years, developments in microfluidics and bioengineering have led to organ-on-chip (OoC) technologies. These microfluidic systems create conditions that are more physiologically relevant and can be considered humanized in vitro models. Here we review various OoC models and how they have been applied for infectious disease research. We outline the properties that make them valuable tools in microbiology, such as dynamic microenvironments, vascularization, near-physiological tissue constitutions and partial integration of functional immune cells, as well as their limitations. Finally, we discuss the prospects for OoCs and their potential role in future infectious disease research.