3D Printed ‘Body-on-Chip’ Could Mean the End of Animal Testing

Thanks to additive manufacturing, experiments on living animals could potentially be replaced by a far more ethical method of drug testing. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have succeeded in developing a 3D-printed “body-on-chip” that imitates the course of a drug through the human body and thus examines its effect and tolerability. The plastic chip makes it possible to test different types of medication.

With the help of this new innovation, no longer will animals have to suffer for these tests in order to advance the medical field. Especially since now the behavior of organs can now be analyzed by researchers in a safer way. Indeed, the “Body-On-Chip” device was developed as part of a doctoral scholarship in collaboration with the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) and with financial support from Unilever.

This innovation developed in the Scottish capital marks a world first in both healthcare and medical research. The newly developed chip comprises five chambers, which were produced with the help of a 3D printer. The individual components are designed to replicate the human heart, brain, kidneys, lungs and liver. The channels connecting the various organ compartments are used to spread medication.