Liverpool Organ On A Chip Technology (OOAC)

Groups working together to help UK advance in the field of organ on a chip technology.

17:50 17 May 2018

The Centre for Drug Safety Sciences at the University of Liverpool, the Medicines Discovery Catapult and the National Centre for the Replacement Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research have teamed up to help the United Kingdom advance in the field of organ on a chip technology (OOAC).

 

OOAC refers to a multi-channel 3D microfluidic cell culture chip that works by simulating the activities, mechanics and physiological response of entire organs and organ systems. The technology, which is still in its infancy, is believed to be the key to revolutionise drug discovery and development.

 

According to the groups, OOAC has the potential to provide “sophisticated models of human organ systems which better mimic what happens when patients receive drug molecules; providing patient relevant data, enabling risk-free biomedical testing and reducing the need for animal disease models”.

 

Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed of the MRC Centre for Drug Safety Studies at the University of Liverpool said: “The OOAC technology will provide human data not currently available until Phase I and Phase II clinical trials that is crucial for scientists to understand both harmful and beneficial effects of drugs,”

 

“It is vital that the UK becomes a leading participant to improve our ability to screen and withdraw drugs that are not viable candidates earlier in the drug development process.”

 

“We recognise that OOAC models are an expensive and specialist technology, inaccessible to much of the UK’s SME community whose work is essential to identify potential new drugs and advance medicine for patients.”