Specific programme: KDT JU 2023

Call for transnational projects in electronic systems and components within the framework of the European initiative Key Digital Technologies (KDT JU). Spain participates in the call through the AEI, which will finance the participation of universities and research centres, and the MINAETD, which will finance companies and other private agents of the Spanish R&I system.

PCI2024-153423 Project funded by MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and Co-financed by the European Union

APCIN code: PCI2024-153423

UPV/EHU: Beneficiary

UPV/EHU IP: Jose Luis Pedraz

Project start: 01/05/2024

Project end: 30/04/2027

Brief description:

Before testing a drug in humans in clinical trials, the efficacy, toxicity and pharmacokinetics are traditionally demonstrated using animal models. These animal experiments have a low predictive power for humans, this being one of the main reasons why 90% of drugs fail in clinical trials.

The rapidly advancing Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) technology aims to reproduce the physiological and functional properties of human organs on a micro-scale platform. OOC systems consist of microfluidic channels lined with living cells that mimic the structures and functions of specific organs. By emulating the microenvironment of organs, OOCs are a powerful tool for drug development, disease modelling and personalised medicine.

A central argument for the use of OOC systems is the direct use of human-derived cells. This means that the effect of a compound on the actual target can be assessed, reducing the risk of species-specific interactions and clinical trial failure. In addition, cells from target groups or even patient-derived cells can be used and combined with induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology. Since clinical study subjects are disproportionately healthy adult males, the ability to integrate cells from different subpopulations (e.g., sex, age, race) in OOC systems is a real game-changer in drug development. Testing new drugs with more diverse human-derived cells will increase the safety and efficacy of new therapeutic drugs in different population subgroups. Finally, OOCs provide tools not only to test new drug candidates, but also to create disease models in order to develop therapies in a relevant and controlled environment

The vertically oriented diffusion cell (VDC), or Frank cell, is the gold standard method for evaluating transdermal drug delivery. However, VDCs have limitations, such as not reflecting the complexity of the in vivo skin microenvironment and reduced reproducibility. As such, VDCs are not an accepted method in drug, chemical, or cosmetic development. At UNLOOC we will design a novel OOC platform that mimics human skin and can be used to assess transdermal drug delivery, skin penetration, absorbance and toxicity.

Project PCI2024-153423 funded by MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and Co-financed by the European Union