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Focused on infections, cancer and autoimmune disorders, the Translational Centre for Barrier Microphysiological Systems will be located at the University of Rochester in New York State. Funded by a $7.5m, five-year grant from the US National Institutes of Health, it will specifically develop drug development tools related to central nervous system disorders, fibrosis, musculoskeletal autoimmune disease, sepsis, and osteomyelitis.
Researchers will create the drug development tools using microphysiological systems – small chips with ultrathin membranes of human cells. They will be built using the modular, mass-producible µSim chips pioneered by centre director James McGrath.
Testing drugs on µSim chips can lead to fewer animal trials, McGrath said. As researchers will be studying drugs’ effects on human cells, they could also help overcome some of the critical differences between testing on humans and animals.
“Drug discovery is moving into an era where fewer animals are used to test for safety and efficacy,” said McGrath. “Instead, more screening will be done on tissue chips that pattern human cells in a way that mimics human tissue and disease.
“Our chips are designed to provide the higher throughput and more reliable indications that pharmaceutical companies need to get their drugs approved for clinical trials and use by patients.”
The chips will feature photonic biosensors crafted by Benjamin Miller. “Getting our devices qualified by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) as drug development tools will mean that we’re a step closer to doing ‘clinical trials on chip’ with fully human models, increasing the likelihood of a drug candidate being successful when it actually gets to human clinical trials,” said Miller.
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