Author(s)

Stephen Shay

Medical Research, SYNE R & E, Ventura, CA, USA.

Many recent advances in biomedical research are related to the combination of biology and microengineering. Microfluidic devices, such as organ-on-a-chip systems, integrate with living cells to allow for the detailed in vitro study of human physiology and pathophysiology. With the poor translation from animal models to human models, the organ-on-a-chip technology has become a promising substitute for animal testing, and their small scale enables precise control of culture conditions and high-throughput experiments, which would not be an economically sound model on a macroscopic level. These devices are becoming more and more common in research centers, clinics, and hospitals, and are contributing to more accurate studies and therapies, making them a staple technology for future drug design.

Organ-on-a-Chip, Microfluidics, Animal Models, Ethics, Drug Design

Shay, S. (2017) Organs-on-a-Chip: A Future of Rational Drug-Design. Journal of Biosciences and Medicines, 5, 22-28. doi: 10.4236/jbm.2017.59003.