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Professor Kuan-Yu Chen's team from the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University has developed a "Biomimetic Organ Chip Inhalation Test Platform." This platform can simulate the physiological environment of the human respiratory tract, including alveoli, bronchi, and the mucus layer, providing a more effective evaluation method for the development of inhalation drugs. 

Organ chip advantages: Overcoming animal aesting limitations 

Professor Guan-Yu Chen highlighted that traditional drug development takes an average of 10-15 years and costs typically exceed $1-2 billion. The process is time-consuming and relies heavily on animal models, which are not only costly and ethically controversial but also fail to fully reflect human drug responses. To address these issues, the team successfully integrated three globally unique core technologies. The LungSim chip uses human primary alveolar epithelial cells and human primary small airway epithelial cells to create a biomimetic lung chip that replicates human alveolar type I cell differentiation, ciliary movement, and mucus clearance functions. Additionally, the Breath X dynamic inhalation microphysiological system and the CuraAl data analysis platform can simulate different breathing patterns and airflow rates, observing drug deposition, penetration, and release behavior in the human respiratory tract. 

Key advantages of the lung chip: 

• More Accurate Drug Toxicology: The combination of LungSim and Breath X can replicate the human lung mucus barrier and respiratory clearance mechanisms, providing more accurate drug toxicology data.
• Faster Drug Screening: Integration with CuraAl allows for the high-throughput screening of candidate drugs, accelerating the development process.
• Lower Development Costs: Reduces the costs associated with animal testing, saving on research and development expenses.

Potential applications of the lung chip: 

• Inhalation Drug Development: Can evaluate the deposition, penetration, release, and absorption characteristics of inhalation drugs.
• Respiratory Disease Research: Can study the mechanisms and treatment methods of respiratory diseases.
• Personalized Medicine: Can establish individualized lung models for precision medicine.

Taiwan-U.S. collaboration to promote Industry applications 

Professor Guan-Yu Chen stated that lung organ chip technology offers new options for drug development and screening, helping to save time and costs, reduce product development risks, and improve the success rate of new drugs. The team has established a startup company, Joule Health, and completed multi-country patent deployment, building an ecosystem spanning semiconductors and clinical applications. They are also participating in Moderna's mentorship program and collaborating with several overseas companies to promote the biomimetic lung chip system for industrial use. In the future, they will continue to develop new organ chip technologies to provide more effective tools for medical research and drug development, promoting new drug development and respiratory disease prevention. 

Resource (mandarin):

《新創動態》肺晶片替代動物試驗！平台重現人體呼吸系統助攻新藥開發！