Biochip to simplify drug development safety studies
A collaborative team of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., the University of California, Berkeley, and Solidus Biosciences, Inc. has developed an innovative biochip technology aimed at expediting drug development safety studies while reducing reliance on animal testing in early-stage experiments. Traditional animal tests have been utilized to assess drug toxicity; however, their accuracy in replicating human responses to compounds is not always reliable. The newly developed biochips offer a more accurate and cost-effective alternative.
The biochips consist of two components: the Metachip and the Datachip. The Metachip is a glass slide containing small droplets (20 nanoliters) of a solution containing human enzymes. To determine the toxicity of a compound, it is introduced into the solution droplets, and the subsequent reaction is monitored. The Datachip, on the other hand, is another glass slide lined with cell cultures of human bladder, kidney, or liver cells. By adding a few drops of the drug onto the slide, scientists can assess its safety by observing the expansion or shrinkage of the cell cultures over time. The two biochips can be used in conjunction by placing the Metachip on top of the Datachip to evaluate their interaction.
The success of the Metachips and Datachips can be attributed to the isolation of p450 liver enzymes and the development of three-dimensional cell cultures in droplets. The utilization of biochips necessitates a high-throughput microarray spotter machine to accurately position the enzyme droplets on the slides. Optical assay systems, including a camera connected to a fluorescent light source, are employed to capture images of the cell cultures and distinguish between living and dead cells. The demand for biochip technology is expected to increase, particularly with the implementation of the ban on animal testing since 2009.
