Researchers at SUNY Binghamton University have developed a model kidney that will serve as a drug screening tool. Assistant Professor Gretchen Mahler and Biomedical engineering alumna Courtney Sakolish Ph.D. ’16 created the reusable, multi-layered, and microfluidic device that recreates the major function of the kidney. The devices incorporate a porous growth substrate with the physiological fluid flow and the passive filtration of the capillaries around the end of a kidney. Image credit
The hope is that these platforms will be used as an animal alternative during pre-clinical testing. Since finding new drugs is a time consuming and expensive process, the advantage of such a device is that it can determine with new drug candidates will fail faster so resources can be directed toward options that are more promising.
The model kidney uses human cells in a dynamic, more physiologic environment to better predict the body’s response to drugs than the current testing models of animals or static cell cultures. This is because cells were grown in this device exhibit more natural behaviors than when grown in traditional culturing methods.
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