Throughout the long history of biomedical research, scientists have been searching for methods that can Emulate the human physiological environment more accurately and efficiently. In recent years, with the rapid development of microfluidic technology and biotechnology, organ-on-a-chip (OOC), as a new in vitro biological model, is gradually demonstrating its enormous potential and application value in biomedical research. Among them, Emulate, as a leader in this field, leads the new direction of biomedical research with its organ chip technology characterized by highly Emulated physiological environment, flexibility, and customizability.

1、Overview of Emulate Organ Chips

Emulate is a company located in the Boston area of the United States, dedicated to understanding how diseases, drugs, chemicals, and food affect human health through its innovative Organ on Chips technology. The founding team of the company was the first to launch Organ on Chips technology at the Wyss Institute for Biological Innovation Engineering at Harvard University, and obtained exclusive authorization from Harvard University worldwide, providing a strong and extensive intellectual property portfolio for its technology and related systems.

Emulate's Human Simulation System uses advanced algorithms and microfluidic devices to predict specific reactions of the human body to factors such as drugs, chemicals, and diseases by establishing highly Emulated human organ chip models. This technology platform provides researchers with a new standard for predicting human reactions to diseases, drugs, chemicals, and food, with higher accuracy and control capabilities than traditional cell culture or animal testing methods.

2、Principles and advantages of organ chip technology

Organ chip is a multi-channel 3D microfluidic cell culture chip that can Emulate the behavior, mechanical forces, and physiological responses at the level of organs or biological tissues. By constructing a complex microchannel network on a microchip, simulating the microenvironment of real organs, including temperature, oxygen concentration, nutrient supply, and other conditions, cells and tissues cultured on the chip can exhibit physiological functions and responses similar to real organs.

1) Highly Emulated, by precisely controlling the microenvironment inside the chip, Emulate organ chip technology can Emulate physiological states similar to real human organs, providing a highly Emulated in vitro biological model for biomedical research. 2) Flexibility, Emulate organ chip technology has a high degree of flexibility, which can adjust the structure and function of the chip according to different research needs, and meet various complex research scenarios. 3) High throughput, through parallel processing of multiple chips, Emulate organ chip technology can simultaneously study physiological responses of multiple organs or under different conditions, greatly improving research efficiency. 4) High precision microfluidic technology enables more precise fluid control within chips, enabling more accurate simulation of physiological processes and providing more accurate and reliable research results. 5) Low cost, compared to traditional animal experiments, Emulate organ chip technology has lower costs and is more in line with ethical requirements, reducing the need for animal use.

3、Application areas of Emulate organ chips

1. Drug development and screening: Drug development is a long and complex process, in which in vitro experiments are an indispensable part. Emulate organ chip technology can Emulate physiological states similar to real human organs, providing an ideal in vitro experimental platform for drug development and screening. By cultivating target organ cells and tissues for drug action on chips, the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion processes of drugs in the human body can be Emulated, thereby evaluating the effectiveness and safety of drugs. In addition, Emulate organ chip technology can Emulate organ reactions under different pathological states, providing more accurate guidance for drug development targeting specific diseases.

2. Disease model research: Emulate organ chip technology can Emulate pathological states similar to real human organs, providing an ideal in vitro experimental platform for disease model research. By simulating the pathological characteristics of specific diseases on chips, the occurrence, development, and prognosis of diseases can be studied, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of the nature and mechanisms of diseases. This research method not only helps to promote the development of diagnostic and treatment technologies for diseases, but also helps to discover new disease biomarkers and treatment methods.

3. Personalized medicine: With the continuous deepening of medical research and the continuous development of medical technology, personalized medicine has become one of the important directions for the future development of medicine. Emulate organ chip technology can Emulate the organ responses of different patients, providing a new means for personalized medicine. By simulating the specific organ or tissue responses of patients, doctors can more accurately assess their health status and disease risks, and develop more personalized treatment plans for patients. In addition, the Emulate organ chip technology can also be used to evaluate the effects and differences in efficacy of different drugs on patients, providing more accurate and reliable guidance for clinical medication.

4. Biosafety and Environmental Protection: Emulate organ chips can also be used in the fields of biosafety and environmental protection. By simulating the physiological reactions of organisms, the impact of harmful substances on them can be evaluated, providing scientific basis for environmental protection. For example, Emulate organ chip technology can be used to evaluate the toxicity of pollutants to organs such as the liver and kidneys, in order to develop more effective environmental protection measures.

4、Specific cases of Emulate organ chips

1. Colonic microarray: Colonic microarray Emulates the physiological environment of the colon, supports more human like responses, and overcomes species differences that hinder human translation in animal models. This chip combines the binding of colon and colon endothelial cells, with functional barriers and clear tight junctions, and low permeability. Compared with traditional cell culture, the transcriptome profile of colon microarray is closer to human colon tissue, with rich gene pathways for epithelial cell differentiation, metabolism, and ion transport. These characteristics make colon colon chips significantly advantageous in evaluating the effects of drugs on the colon and studying the pathological mechanisms of colon diseases.

2. Duodenal intestinal chip: Duodenal intestinal chip is used to study drug absorption and drug interactions in a primary organ model of the human small intestine. This chip combines pre qualified biopsy derived primary organ like cells and duodenal endothelial cells with mechanical force, simulating physiology in living organisms. This dynamic microenvironment allows cells to exhibit in vivo similar morphology, function, and gene expression, thus more closely simulating human characteristics. The main types of intestinal epithelial cells (such as absorptive intestinal cells, intestinal endocrine cells, etc.) present on the duodenal chip in physiologically relevant ratios and function, making the chip widely applicable in drug absorption, drug interactions, and duodenal physiology research.

3. Lung chips: Emulate is developing two different human lung models - alveolar lung chips and airway lung chips - to capture specific tissue structures and functions of different lung tissues. These two models combine the co culture of primary human lung epithelial cells and endothelial cells in a dynamic microenvironment, simulating the complex physiological environment of the lungs. The lung chip supports the interaction, flow, and extension between cells, improving the accuracy of functional simulation. Researchers can use lung chips to study pathophysiology, evaluate drug efficacy, and explore new treatment methods.

4. Renal chip: Renal chip is used to evaluate the toxicity of candidate drugs at clinically relevant concentrations in a co cultured human kidney model. This chip combines primary human proximal tubular epithelial cells and renal microvascular endothelial cells to Emulate the physiological environment of the kidney in a dynamic microenvironment. Kidney chips can maintain functionality for up to 14 days, with highly differentiated epithelial cells and normal epithelial cell morphology. This model enables researchers to evaluate drug toxicity and drug drug interactions under conditions closer to the real renal environment, thereby improving the success rate of drug development.

Emulate organ chip technology, as a new tool in biomedical research, is leading the new direction of biomedical research with its high simulation, flexibility, high-throughput, and high precision. This technology not only has broad application prospects in drug development, disease model research, personalized medicine and other fields, but also shows great potential in biosafety and environmental protection. With the continuous development and popularization of technology, Emulate organ chips will play a greater role in the future medical field, bringing more benefits to human health. We have reason to believe that in the near future, Emulate organ chip technology will bring more breakthroughs and advancements to medical research and clinical applications.

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