![Source: ACS Nano (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c00994 Innovations in on-chip organ technology improve targeted drug delivery.](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2024/breakthrough-in-organ-1.jpg)
Credit Transactions: ACS Nano (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c00994
To maximize the effectiveness of drug therapy, it is important to optimize the drug delivery system (DDS) to the biological environment of organs and blood vessels. A research team affiliated with UNIST has developed a new method to maximize the therapeutic efficacy of drugs by utilizing organ-on-a-chip (OoC) technology.
Now, here are the results of a published study: ACS NanoWe suggest that OoC technology holds significant potential for advancing vascular-targeted DDS research because it accurately simulates molecular transport within the endothelium.
A research team, jointly led by Professor Tae-Eun Park and Professor Tae-Joon Kwon of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNIST, has created an OoC that mimics the blood-brain barrier (BBB) through mouse cell culture, significantly increasing the permeability of therapeutic drugs. Using a cell-based phage display screening method, they have accurately simulated the physiological characteristics of organs, setting a new standard for in vitro modeling.
Their research results showed improved cerebral vascular permeability compared to conventional transwell methods. The research team expects that OoC technology will make a significant contribution to the development of targeted therapies tailored to specific organs such as the liver, kidneys, and lungs.
Accurate replication of the biological environment within the chip, including the structure and function of glycoproteins on the blood vessel surface, enabled the discovery of effective drug delivery peptides via simulated blood flow. These advanced simulations of shear stress and glycoprotein structure allowed the discovery of effective drug delivery peptides, demonstrating their potential for targeted therapy in various organs, including the liver, kidney, and lung.
The research team said that the OoC technology holds significant potential for advancing vascular-targeted DDS research because it accurately simulates molecular transport within the endothelium.
“Organ-on-a-chip technology can be used as a powerful tool to discover drug carriers with targeted functions by closely mimicking biological environments,” said co-author Dr. Jeongwon Choi.
“We have demonstrated that organ-on-a-chip technology can accurately model human biological tissues, which opens up new possibilities for future drug delivery system research,” added co-author Dr. Kyung-Ha Kim.
Additional information:
Jeong-Won Choi et al, An on-chip organ approach to accelerate discovery of blood-brain barrier nanoshuttles, ACS Nano (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c00994
Provided by Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology
Summons: Organ-on-a-Chip Mimics Blood-Brain Barrier, Improves Drug Delivery (July 1, 2024) Retrieved July 2, 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2024-07-chip-mimics-blood-brain-barrier.html
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