1
|
Fu J, Qiu H, Tan CS. Microfluidic Liver-on-a-Chip for Preclinical Drug Discovery. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15041300. [PMID: 37111785 PMCID: PMC10141038 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15041300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug discovery is an expensive, long, and complex process, usually with a high degree of uncertainty. In order to improve the efficiency of drug development, effective methods are demanded to screen lead molecules and eliminate toxic compounds in the preclinical pipeline. Drug metabolism is crucial in determining the efficacy and potential side effects, mainly in the liver. Recently, the liver-on-a-chip (LoC) platform based on microfluidic technology has attracted widespread attention. LoC systems can be applied to predict drug metabolism and hepatotoxicity or to investigate PK/PD (pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics) performance when combined with other artificial organ-on-chips. This review discusses the liver physiological microenvironment simulated by LoC, especially the cell compositions and roles. We summarize the current methods of constructing LoC and the pharmacological and toxicological application of LoC in preclinical research. In conclusion, we also discussed the limitations of LoC in drug discovery and proposed a direction for improvement, which may provide an agenda for further research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingyu Fu
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Hailong Qiu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Crystal Materials, Institute of Functional Crystal, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin 300384, China
| | - Cherie S Tan
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ishida S. Research and Development of Microphysiological Systems in Japan Supported by the AMED-MPS Project. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2022; 3:657765. [PMID: 35295097 PMCID: PMC8915811 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2021.657765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Microphysiological systems (MPS) have been actively developed as a new technology for in vitro toxicity testing platforms in recent years. MPS are culture techniques for the reconstruction of the specific functions of human organs or tissues in a limited space to create miniaturized human test systems. MPS have great promise as next-generation in vitro toxicity assessment systems. Here, I will review the current status of MPS and discuss the requirements that must be met in order for MPS to be implemented in the field of drug discovery, presenting the example of an in vitro cell assay system for drug-induced liver injury, which is the research subject in our laboratory. Projects aimed at the development of MPS were implemented early in Europe and the United States, and the AMED-MPS project was launched in Japan in 2017. The AMED-MPS project involves industry, government, and academia. Researchers in the field of drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry also participate in the project. Based on the discussions made in the project, I will introduce the requirements that need to be met by liver-MPS as in vitro toxicity test platforms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seiichi Ishida
- Division of Applied Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Sojo University, Kumamoto, Japan.,Biological Safety Research Center, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Anklam E, Bahl MI, Ball R, Beger RD, Cohen J, Fitzpatrick S, Girard P, Halamoda-Kenzaoui B, Hinton D, Hirose A, Hoeveler A, Honma M, Hugas M, Ishida S, Kass GEN, Kojima H, Krefting I, Liachenko S, Liu Y, Masters S, Marx U, McCarthy T, Mercer T, Patri A, Pelaez C, Pirmohamed M, Platz S, Ribeiro AJS, Rodricks JV, Rusyn I, Salek RM, Schoonjans R, Silva P, Svendsen CN, Sumner S, Sung K, Tagle D, Tong L, Tong W, van den Eijnden-van-Raaij J, Vary N, Wang T, Waterton J, Wang M, Wen H, Wishart D, Yuan Y, Slikker Jr. W. Emerging technologies and their impact on regulatory science. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2022; 247:1-75. [PMID: 34783606 PMCID: PMC8749227 DOI: 10.1177/15353702211052280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an evolution and increasing need for the utilization of emerging cellular, molecular and in silico technologies and novel approaches for safety assessment of food, drugs, and personal care products. Convergence of these emerging technologies is also enabling rapid advances and approaches that may impact regulatory decisions and approvals. Although the development of emerging technologies may allow rapid advances in regulatory decision making, there is concern that these new technologies have not been thoroughly evaluated to determine if they are ready for regulatory application, singularly or in combinations. The magnitude of these combined technical advances may outpace the ability to assess fit for purpose and to allow routine application of these new methods for regulatory purposes. There is a need to develop strategies to evaluate the new technologies to determine which ones are ready for regulatory use. The opportunity to apply these potentially faster, more accurate, and cost-effective approaches remains an important goal to facilitate their incorporation into regulatory use. However, without a clear strategy to evaluate emerging technologies rapidly and appropriately, the value of these efforts may go unrecognized or may take longer. It is important for the regulatory science field to keep up with the research in these technically advanced areas and to understand the science behind these new approaches. The regulatory field must understand the critical quality attributes of these novel approaches and learn from each other's experience so that workforces can be trained to prepare for emerging global regulatory challenges. Moreover, it is essential that the regulatory community must work with the technology developers to harness collective capabilities towards developing a strategy for evaluation of these new and novel assessment tools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Reza M Salek
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Li Tong
- Universities of Georgia Tech and Emory, USA
| | | | | | - Neil Vary
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canada
| | - Tao Wang
- National Medical Products Administration, China
| | | | - May Wang
- Universities of Georgia Tech and Emory, USA
| | - Hairuo Wen
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, China
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Vormann MK, Tool LM, Ohbuchi M, Gijzen L, van Vught R, Hankemeier T, Kiyonaga F, Kawabe T, Goto T, Fujimori A, Vulto P, Lanz HL, Tetsuka K. Modelling and Prevention of Acute Kidney Injury through Ischemia and Reperfusion in a Combined Human Renal Proximal Tubule/Blood Vessel-on-a-Chip. KIDNEY360 2021; 3:217-231. [PMID: 35373131 PMCID: PMC8967632 DOI: 10.34067/kid.0003622021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Background Renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (rIRI) is one of the major causes of AKI. Although animal models are suitable for investigating systemic symptoms of AKI, they are limited in translatability. Human in vitro models are crucial in giving mechanistic insights into rIRI; however, they miss out on crucial aspects such as reperfusion injury and the multitissue aspect of AKI. Methods We advanced the current renal proximal tubule-on-a-chip model to a coculture model with a perfused endothelial vessel separated by an extracellular matrix. The coculture was characterized for its three-dimensional structure, protein expression, and response to nephrotoxins. Then, rIRI was captured through control of oxygen levels, nutrient availability, and perfusion flow settings. Injury was quantified through morphologic assessment, caspase-3/7 activation, and cell viability. Results The combination of low oxygen, reduced glucose, and interrupted flow was potent to disturb the proximal tubules. This effect was strongly amplified upon reperfusion. Endothelial vessels were less sensitive to the ischemia-reperfusion parameters. Adenosine treatment showed a protective effect on the disruption of the epithelium and on the caspase-3/7 activation. Conclusions A human in vitro rIRI model was developed using a coculture of a proximal tubule and blood vessel on-a-chip, which was used to characterize the renoprotective effect of adenosine. The robustness of the model and assays in combination with the throughput of the platform make it ideal to advance pathophysiological research and enable the development of novel therapeutic modalities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Masato Ohbuchi
- Analysis and Pharmacokinetics Research Labs, Astellas Pharma, Inc., Ibaraki, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Fumiko Kiyonaga
- Innovation and Incubation Research Labs, Astellas Pharma, Inc., Ibaraki, Japan
| | | | - Takayuki Goto
- Modality Research Labs, Astellas Pharma, Inc., Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Akira Fujimori
- Research Portfolio Planning, Astellas Pharma, Inc., Ibaraki, Japan
| | | | | | - Kazuhiro Tetsuka
- Analysis and Pharmacokinetics Research Labs, Astellas Pharma, Inc., Ibaraki, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Schneider MR, Oelgeschlaeger M, Burgdorf T, van Meer P, Theunissen P, Kienhuis AS, Piersma AH, Vandebriel RJ. Applicability of organ-on-chip systems in toxicology and pharmacology. Crit Rev Toxicol 2021; 51:540-554. [PMID: 34463591 DOI: 10.1080/10408444.2021.1953439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Organ-on-chip (OoC) systems are microfabricated cell culture devices designed to model functional units of human organs by harboring an in vitro generated organ surrogate. In the present study, we reviewed issues and opportunities related to the application of OoC in the safety and efficacy assessment of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, as well as the steps needed to achieve this goal. The relative complexity of OoC over simple in vitro assays provides advantages and disadvantages in the context of compound testing. The broader biological domain of OoC potentially enhances their predictive value, whereas their complexity present issues with throughput, standardization and transferability. Using OoCs for regulatory purposes requires detailed and standardized protocols, providing reproducible results in an interlaboratory setting. The extent to which interlaboratory standardization of OoC is feasible and necessary for regulatory application is a matter of debate. The focus of applying OoCs in safety assessment is currently directed to characterization (the biology represented in the test) and qualification (the performance of the test). To this aim, OoCs are evaluated on a limited scale, especially in the pharmaceutical industry, with restricted sets of reference substances. Given the low throughput of OoC, it is questionable whether formal validation, in which many reference substances are extensively tested in different laboratories, is feasible for OoCs. Rather, initiatives such as open technology platforms, and collaboration between OoC developers and risk assessors may prove an expedient strategy to build confidence in OoCs for application in safety and efficacy assessment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marlon R Schneider
- German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Oelgeschlaeger
- German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Tanja Burgdorf
- German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter van Meer
- Section on Pharmacology, Toxicology and Kinetics, Medicines Evaluation Board, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Pharmaceutics, Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Theunissen
- Section on Pharmacology, Toxicology and Kinetics, Medicines Evaluation Board, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anne S Kienhuis
- Laboratory for Health Protection, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Aldert H Piersma
- Laboratory for Health Protection, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Rob J Vandebriel
- Laboratory for Health Protection, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|