Under the Horizon Europe program supported by the European Union, the "Organ-on-Chip Systems Oriented Strategic Partnership (OrChESTRA)" project has commenced, led by the METU Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Center from Türkiye. This collaborative effort involves partners from three countries and aims to develop chips for drug research that will replace the use of laboratory animals.

Professor Haluk Külah, a member of the MEMS Center, explained to Anadolu Agency (AA) that the project aspires to establish a regional center of excellence in the field of organ-on-chip systems. Külah noted that they are working alongside the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) from Belgium, the University of Freiburg from Germany and Eindhoven University of Technology from the Netherlands.

By collaborating, the four institutions aim to train researchers in the field of organ-on-chip systems. Külah highlighted the dual collaborations within the project, including reciprocal visits where researchers from METU participate in international studies and experienced experts come to work at the METU MEMS Center for short periods. He stated, "We have gained many benefits from this project, which has been ongoing for about 1.5 years, and it has had significant impacts in the field."

Külah also mentioned that the four institutions are collectively working on developing a gut-on-chip platform. He provided further details, saying: "The work involves creating an intestinal model on a chip. By developing this model on a chip, we aim to effectively test certain drugs in an external environment. Similarly, it is possible to model the functions of different organs on the chip. This will allow some stages of drug research to be conducted more quickly and independently of laboratory animals."

Emphasizing the importance of MEMS's infrastructure and its research competency in biomedical technologies, Külah continued: "In a sense, what organ-on-chip systems aim to achieve is to reduce experiments on animals. Although we may still be in the early stages, eventually, it will be possible to conduct some tests solely on a chip without the need for many laboratory animals."

"The three institutions we collaborate with in Europe have made significant progress in this field. In Türkiye, we have institutions and researchers working in this area as well. We have recently entered this field to make a difference by leveraging our competencies in micro-electromechanical systems technologies and sensors," he added.

Global needs

Researcher Ender Yıldırım also discussed their efforts to develop a system that integrates organ-on-chip systems with sensors, addressing a global need. Yıldırım stated that organ-on-chip systems are typically used for drug development, explaining: "Before testing on laboratory animals, it is possible to test drug candidate molecules on organ-on-chip systems. Work towards this is already underway, and we know that some international pharmaceutical development companies have started using these systems."

Yıldırım described how the technology involves growing cells within the chip to simulate organ functions. The chip is then used to apply drugs and observe the cells' and organ functions' responses. "We aim to support these processes with sensors to continuously gather real-time data during these tests, thereby paving the way for more precise and accurate drug development," he explained.

When asked about the potential scientific changes once the system is completed, Yıldırım elaborated, "Various applications are possible, but with the smart gut-on-chip platform we are developing, our goal is to model the absorption of a drug in the intestine to accurately understand its efficacy."

"In order to make an informed judgment about a drug's effectiveness, it is necessary to examine its absorption. On our gut-on-chip platform, we model the intestinal wall with microchannels representing both the inner and outer sides, placing sensors to measure the drug's absorption in real time. We have begun producing prototypes and conducting tests."

Yıldırım emphasized the project's significance, stating, "The project could lead to the more accurate design of drugs and potentially reduce or even eliminate the use of laboratory animals in testing in the long term."