Reyk Horland, TissUse, Berlin

Present in vitro and animal tests for drug development do not reliable predict the human outcomes of tested drugs or substances because they are failing to emulate the organ complexity of the human body, leading to high attrition rates in clinical studies. Here, Multi-Organ-Chips provide high potential for the in vitro combination of different cell types and organoids to realize a better understanding of their physiological in vivo crosstalk. The expectation is that such tests would predict, for example, toxicity, immunogenicity, ADME profiles and efficacy in vitro, reducing and replacing laboratory animal testing and streamlining human clinical trials.

The ultimate aim for microphysiological systems in drug development is to recapitulate the various stages of a disease and even understand the stages before the disease is clinically manifested, which may open the way for new treatment paradigms. This talk will present examples of current Multi-Organ combinations and how the advanced knowledge and experience acquired will eventually enable the development of a Body-on-a-chip system. In addition, the question of how to qualify and validate these systems will be addressed.