0

WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF

Noone will be sad to see the back of animal testing.

 

Before a new drug or medical treatment can be let loose on human beings, it has to go through a rigorous set of tests to make sure it’s safe – tests that unfortunately often involve animals, and tests that are often horrific and barbaric.

 

RELATED
World first as virtual reality helps legally blind man see for the first time

 

While the ethics of animal testing have never been accepted by society they are allowed to go on because, up until now at least, there has been no other way to test the effect that new drugs, medicines or beauty care treatments will have on humans. For the past decade though the US government has been pushing researchers to find more humane alternatives to animal testing – whether it’s highly efficient robots or advanced computer algorithms and now that focus is starting to pay off.

 

 

One of the most ambitious projects to date is to replace animal models with a ‘Human body on a chip’ – something that has the potential not just to match the usefulness of animal testing, but actually exceed it. These technologies have been around now for years but they’ve stayed hidden in the research and development labs while researchers try to work out the how.

One such effort to develop organ-mimicking computer chips is currently being led by bioengineer Linda Griffith from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Griffith’s Human Physiome on a Chip program has received millions in funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the National Institutes of Health but simulating the complexities of the human body is no easy task, of course, but progress in software and electronics means we’re closer than ever to getting it right. These organs-on-chips are likely to first appear in scenarios where animal testing doesn’t quite provide the results that scientists need.

 

RELATED
Teeth cleaning nanobots are here to make your teeth feel awesome

 

Take immunotherapy cancer treatments, for example. They’re designed to target specific proteins on human immune cells, like putting together two pieces of a jigsaw, and tests on animals or even on human cells in a petri dish are poor substitutes.

These treatments need to be tested in relation to the whole human body, so Griffith has built up a system with seven ‘organs’ on a chip, and is now working on expanding it to 10.

“The modules are designed to mimic the functions of specific organ systems representing a broad spectrum of human tissues, including the circulatory, endocrine, gastrointestinal, immune, integumentary, musculoskeletal, nervous, reproductive, respiratory and urinary systems,” she explains.

Most organ chips are made from synthetic materials such as polymers, which are often made transparent so they can be viewed through a microscope. When cultured human cells are added to the artificial structures and they begin to behave as if they were actually in the body, opening up a valuable resource for drug and treatment testing while a tiny circulatory system of microfluidic tubes keeps everything flowing.

 

RELATED
Animal shaped morphing robots can deliver cancer drugs precisely where they're needed

 

Projects similar to the one at MIT are ongoing elsewhere too, with another DARPA funded Organs-on-Chips program being developed at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University. The model created by the researchers at the Wyss Institute is so cleverly constructed that last year it won a design award. Other researchers are also working on alternatives to animal testing using other means – ranging from lab-grown mini-brains developed from human cells that could replace animals in drugs testing, through to new mathematical models that can predict the effect of chemicals on human skin, thereby negating the need for lab testing on animals.

While we’re still likely to be a long way from fully replacing animal experiments with organs-on-chips, the new research looks highly promising, and it’s something everyone wants to see happen: scientists, regulators, and drug companies alike – not to mention the millions of animals annually subjected to testing in the US.

This transition has been a long time coming, and thanks to science, we’re finally seeing it start to happen.

About author

Matthew Griffin

Matthew Griffin, described as “The Adviser behind the Advisers” and a “Young Kurzweil,” is the founder and CEO of the World Futures Forum and the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures consultancy working between the dates of 2020 to 2070, and is an award winning futurist, and author of “Codex of the Future” series. Regularly featured in the global media, including AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, RT, Viacom, and WIRED, Matthew’s ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of revolutionary emerging technologies on global culture, industry and society, is unparalleled. Recognised for the past six years as one of the world’s foremost futurists, innovation and strategy experts Matthew is an international speaker who helps governments, investors, multi-nationals and regulators around the world envision, build and lead an inclusive, sustainable future. A rare talent Matthew’s recent work includes mentoring Lunar XPrize teams, re-envisioning global education and training with the G20, and helping the world’s largest organisations envision and ideate the future of their products and services, industries, and countries. Matthew's clients include three Prime Ministers and several governments, including the G7, Accenture, Aon, Bain & Co, BCG, Credit Suisse, Dell EMC, Dentons, Deloitte, E&Y, GEMS, Huawei, JPMorgan Chase, KPMG, Lego, McKinsey, PWC, Qualcomm, SAP, Samsung, Sopra Steria, T-Mobile, and many more.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *