Lung on a chip

2010/06/24 Aulestiarte Lete, Izaro - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Medikuntza

What you can see in the picture above is a new coin sized device that mimics the border between the air sacs of the lungs and capillaries. It can help researchers understand how lung tissues are modified and work more accurately, as it is difficult to obtain this information from cell cultures or animal studies.

According to researchers, this device could be replaced by animals and clinical tests to detect drugs and conduct toxicological research. The device has a porous and flexible silicone membrane, with a face covered with epithelial cells and another endothelial cell to mimic the cell structure of the lung. The microchannels around the membrane allow air or water to flow around the membrane and, making vacuum, the membrane is tensed as a membrane of a living lung.

Researchers who have created the device have already simulated some processes that take place in the actual lungs, such as inflammatory responses to pathogens.

Photo: Kristin Johnson.