UK developed 3D organ on a chip could lead to new disease treatments

The device, which incorporates cells inside a 3D transistor made from a soft sponge-like material inspired by native tissue structure, gives scientists the ability to study cells and tissues in new ways.

By enabling cells to grow in three dimensions, the device mimics the way that cells grow in the body far more accurately than the two-dimensional petri dish approach that has traditionally been used.

"Three-dimensional cell cultures can help us identify new treatments and know which ones to avoid, if we can accurately monitor them," said Dr Charalampos Pitsalidis, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology, and the study's first author.

Now, 3D cell and tissue cultures are an emerging field of biomedical research, enabling scientists to study the physiology of human organs and tissues in ways that have not been possible before. However, while these 3D cultures can be generated, technology that accurately assesses their functionality in real time has not been well-developed.