Could This Be The End Of Animal Testing?

Modern science has led to the creation of ‘human on a chip’ that could potentially end animal testing.

17:27 12 July 2016

Scientists from the UK and US have created the world’s first ‘human-on-a-chip’ by growing and combining seven miniature human organs. The $26 million modern science creation was presented to the public by scientists from Oxfordshire-based CN Bio Innovations at the World Congress 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts.

 

The tiny part human, part machine creation mimics the physiology of an actual person and its main function is to ensure the effectiveness of new drugs without using animals for testing.

 

UK company CN Bio's CEO, Dr Emma Sceats who is in Boston for the congress, said: "Pharmaceutical companies don't love animal testing"

 

Due to the limitations of animal testing, the companies are using single organs-on-a-chip and other human cell technology to test the effects of new treatments.

 

The human-on-a-chip project was inspired by Dr Barry Pallotta, the program manager at The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

 

Speaking in 2015, Pallotta said he wanted to find "nascent technologies that can improve the drug and vaccine pipeline." He explained "I knew the pipeline was failing, and I wanted to do something about it."