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EC’s Horizon 2020 funds development of organ-on-chip technology www.h2020-orchid.eu

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 June 2018

Abstract

Type
Science Policy
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2018 

With funding from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, a consortium led by Leiden University Medical Center and the Dutch Institute for Human Organ and Disease Model Technologies is creating a roadmap for the future development of organ-on-chip technology, aiming at establishing a European infrastructure to enable coordinated development, production, and implementation of organ-on-chip systems. Called ORCHID, the consortium will facilitate dialogue toward accelerating the development of prototypes of organs on chips (validated cell systems that mimic diseased or healthy human tissue), and the implementation of this technology by a broad group of potential users in science, health care, and industry. Organ-on-chip technology will deliver applications in personalized medicine and safety pharmacology, and offer alternatives to conventional animal testing.

ORCHID’s aim is to build an infrastructure for scientists, policymakers, funders, and end users to join the decision-making processes that will direct future European developments in organ-on-chip applications. An essential contribution of ORCHID will be the establishment of a digital platform enabling knowledge sharing between researchers and representatives of private corporations, including insurance companies, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, food industry, health foundations, and patient organizations. This platform will provide overviews and updates of current and new organ-on-chip initiatives so that users can track progress, consult developers directly, and identify gaps in present knowledge, limiting implementation. ORCHID will also address ethical and regulatory issues, particularly concerning personalized information, economic and societal impact, training of researchers, and the design of a R&D roadmap.

References

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