A team of Israeli researchers has introduced a new technological approach that could lead to faster development of anti-cancer drugs without reliance on animal testing.
Professor Yaakov Nahmias, director of the Center for Grass for Bioengineering at the Jerusalem University of Jerusalem, founded by Tissue Dynamic and director of the study, explained that “drug development is a long and expensive endeavor explained by multiple failures. . The main reason for these failures is that clinical trials are ultimately based on the minimal information obtained from animal trials that often fail to respond to humans. ”
The main animals used in the development of rodent drugs are mice and rats that have different genetics, psychology and metabolism than humans, leading to situations where successful treatments in rodents are often successful. failing clinical trials.
The Hebrew University team developed human-on-chip technology, using human nappies in a device similar to human psychology. While this type of technology has been around for more than 30 years, Nahmias ’research incorporates microscopic sensors in its own print, allowing the team to closely monitor the group’s response. for specific drug treatments.
“What makes our technology unique is that it allows us to go beyond what has ever been possible with animal testing. We can now install microsensors that give us real-time data on how drugs work and when they stop working, ”said Nahmias.
Using this new technology, the researchers were able to show that a common cancer drug, cisplatin, causes a dangerous buildup of fat in human kidneys. They were then able to combine the chemotherapeutic treatment with a different drug, empagliflozin (Jardiance), which was designed to reduce kidney sugar intake to reduce fat loss and reduce kidney damage caused by cancer patients. getting through treatment.
This application was the first time the bionic chip was used to develop a drug protocol while avoiding the traditional reliance on animal testing.
“This state-of-the-art technology has the potential to significantly reduce the testing and production time for drugs whilst avoiding the need for laboratory animal testing. This will save time, money and certainly unnecessary suffering, ”said Hebrew University.
Tissue Dynamic is now moving forward with a clinical trial and working towards a regulatory license for certain drugs as a new treatment for cancer.