Files
Document type
ArticleVersion
Published versionPublication date
Publication license
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/113453
Mimicking the kidney: A key role in organ-on-chip development
Journal Title
Director/Tutor
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Related resource
Abstract
Pharmaceutical drug screening and research into diseases call for significant improvement in the effectiveness of current in vitro models. Better models would reduce the likelihood of costly failures at later drug development stages, while limiting or possibly even avoiding the use of animal models. In this regard, promising advances have recently been made by the so-called "organ-on-chip"(OOC) technology. By combining cell culture with microfluidics, biomedical researchers have started to develop microengineered models of the functional units of human organs. With the capacity to mimic physiological microenvironments and vascular perfusion, OOC devices allow the reproduction of tissue- and organ-level functions. When considering drug testing, nephrotoxicity is a major cause of attrition during pre-clinical, clinical, and post-approval stages. Renal toxicity accounts for 19% of total dropouts during phase III drug evaluation more than half the drugs abandoned because of safety concerns. Mimicking the functional unit of the kidney, namely the nephron, is therefore a crucial objective. Here we provide an extensive review of the studies focused on the development of a nephron-on-chip device.
Subject
Subject (English)
Citation
Citation
PAOLI, Roberto and SAMITIER I MARTÍ, Josep. Mimicking the kidney: A key role in organ-on-chip development. Micromachines. 2016. Vol. 7, num. 7, pags. 126. ISSN 2072-666X. [consulted: 14 of August of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/113453