Today's news, scientists from MIT have created a device known as the 'human body chip'. According to reports, this microfluidic device can simulate the effects of drugs on several major organs, rather than a single organ such as the liver. .
Researchers at MIT said that the microfluidic platform is made of plastic and can contain a variety of human cells, and then let the liquid flow in it to simulate blood flow to simulate the circulatory system in the human body.
Currently, this 'human body chip' is able to integrate the cells of 10 different organs, namely liver, lung, intestine, endometrial, brain, heart, pancreas, kidney, skin and skeletal muscle. In general, The 'human body' in the 'human body chip' can be used multiple times, but it can only last for a maximum of four weeks.
In the details section, in order to limit moisture evaporation and maintain humidity, a pump unit is embedded below the microfluidic platform.
For a long time, in experiments such as drug development and research, scientists mostly tested on mice, pigs, cattle, sheep, and other animals to check the efficacy of drugs. However, after all, people and animals are not the same. After drinking Wang Laoji In the event that it was able to prolong the lifespan by 10%, some experts clearly stated that because rats and humans belong to different species, the conclusions obtained in the rat experiment do not necessarily apply to the human body.
With the aid of this 'human body chip', scientists' drug tests have opened up a new way, and the results are closer to humans. Research co-author Linda Griffith also said: 'With our body chip, you can make Drugs are dispersed and the effects of the drugs on the tissues of the organs are observed, and the speed of their metabolism is measured.
At the same time, such as the complications that occur after the drug is taken, scientists can use the 'human body chip' to detect it as soon as possible, instead of finding the problem after the drug has reached the market on a large scale.