A prototype of the Mimetas three-dimensional culture plate for 35 experiments. Plates of the same size for thousands of experiments are under development. |
Hundreds
of micro-organs mimicked on a chip, with minuscule channels that serve
as blood vessels. These devices can raise drug development to a new
level and reduce animal testing. Leiden researchers and their spin-off
company Mimetas are set to launch their ’organs-on-a-chip’, backed by a
200,000 euro subsidy from STW.
Revolutionizing drug development
“We
mimic human organs in a microscopically small space,” explains LACDR
researcher and Mimetas co-founder Paul Vulto. “These organs-on-a-chip
can be used to determine the efficacy and toxic side-effects of new
medicines better and faster. They provide a unique, novel bridge between
traditional laboratory tests and clinical testing in patients. Showing
closer resemblance to humans, they have the potential to revolutionise
therapeutic drug development and save many laboratory animals at the
same time.”
Personalized medicine
One
Mimetas device fits hundreds of micro-organs in which tiny microfluidic
channels act as blood vessels. Currently, Mimetas develops its products
to help pharmaceutical companies make better medicines at lower costs.
Ultimately, Mimetas products will be used to select the best therapy for
individual patients, based on direct testing of drugs on diseased
cells, so-called personalised medicine.
200,000 euro subsidy
Mimetas
is the result of research and business development efforts by Paul
Vulto, Thomas Hankemeier and Bas Trietsch from the University of Leiden
and biotech-entrepreneur Jos Joore. Research has been performed within
and with support of the Division of Analytical Biosciences and the
Netherlands Metabolomics Centre. the Dutch Foundation for Applied
Sciences (STW) has awarded Mimetas a subsidy of 200,000 for bringing the
‘organs-on-a-chp’ to the market.
Leiden/Amsterdam Center for Drug Research
Source: University of Leiden
