Japan predicts drug absorption in miniatured human liver

Liver-on-a-chip are miniaturised devices that capture the physiological and mechanical properties of the liver. They are commonly used by researchers to study how the liver metabolises different compounds and drugs. In a new study, researchers at Kyoto University in Japan report which drugs based on their physicochemical properties are most suitable when using liver-on-achip to study drug toxicity. Liver-on-a-chip are miniature models of the liver that include not only liver cells, but also simulate the mechanical environment of the organ such as blood flow. The devices themselves are typically made of synthetic material, namely, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The researchers investigated how PDMS-based liver-on-chip interacts with 12 chemical compounds including several drugs and their metabolites in the absence of any liver cells. They found that the partition coefficient, one measure of a drugs’ physicochemical properties, was a good predictor of absorption.