Organ on Chip

‘Organ on Chip’
Organ on Chip
Developing tools for new, better and
personalized therapies
‘Human stem cells:
the new patient?’
If healthy and diseased human organoids/tissues with relevant human
genetics were available in the laboratory, the development of safer,
more specific drugs would be much faster and more effective. We are
on the eve of this technology becoming available and the Netherlands
is extremely well placed to be among world leaders in this area. Dutch
scientists can create the smallest functional structures of healthy or
diseased tissue/organ on a chip using microfluidics, microelectronics
and microfabrication. The innovative approach is to incorporate human
stem cells, adult or pluripotent, derived from healthy individuals or
patients with genetic disease into these chips. ‘Organ on chip’ models
have the potential to reduce drug development costs and failure
rates, enable drug repurposing and rescue, reduce time-to-market
and minimize animal use. They will pave the way to human (pre-)
clinical trials-on-chips and personalized drugs. Beyond use in drug
research, ‘organ on chip’ models will be developed as test systems
for cosmetics, food additives and environmental contaminants for
use by relevant companies.
Preparation of induced human
The necessary technologies, facilities and expertise are now
pluripotent stem cells from human
brought together in the Institute for human organ and Disease Model
blood, and differentiation of these
Technologies (hDMT), a public-private partnership that is a unique
human stem cells into beating heart
multidisciplinary collaboration between excellent Dutch scientists in
muscle cells
Source: Charlotte Jarvis (Netherlands Proteomics Consortium)
the field of ‘Organ on Chip’.
“Organs on Chip for
tailor-made medicine”
Science foundation (STW). In 2003 he was
appointed as captain of the Nanofluidics
Albert van den Berg
Flagship within the national nanotechnology
University Professor,
Professor Albert van den Berg received
program Nanoned. In 2005, he carried out
University of Twente
his PhD at the University of Twente in
sabbatical research at the La Jolla Institute
1988 on the topic of chemically modified
for Allergy and Immunology in San Diego,
ISFETs. From 1988-1993 he worked in
U.S.A., which led to obtain additional
Neuchatel,Switzerland, at the CSEM and
support from an Advanced Research Grant
the University (IMT) on miniaturized
from ERC in 2008. His research interests
chemical sensors. From 1993 until 1999
focus on microanalysis systems and
he was research director of Micro Total
nanosensors, nanofluidics and single cells
In 2009 he was awarded the most
Analysis Systems (microTAS) at MESA+,
on chips, with applications in health care
prestigious Dutch scientific award -
University of Twente, a topic that was
and the environment. Van den Berg is a
the NWO/Spinoza Prize – for his key
extended to Miniaturized Chemical Systems
board member of the Royal Dutch Academy
achievements in the Microsystems field,
(MiCS) in 1999. In 1998 he was appointed
of Sciences (KNAW), the Dutch Health
and its application to development of new
as part-time professor “Biochemical
council, board member of the Chemical and
medical devices. In 2010 he was appointed
Analysis Systems”, and later in 2000 as
Biological Microsystems Society, member
University Professor at the University
full professor on Miniaturized Systems
of the Dutch chemical society (KNCV) and
of Twente, and in 2011 he became
for (Bio) Chemical Analysis in the faculty
associate editor of the journal Lab on a
Distinguished Professor at the South
of Electrical Engineering, embedded in
Chip. He has co-authored over 280 peer
China Normal University. In 2014 he was
the MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology.
reviewed papers and over 15 patents, and
appointed as scientific director of the MIRA
In 2002 he received the Simon Stevin
has been involved in more than five spin-
institute for biomedical technology
Master award from the Dutch Technical
off companies.
at the University of Twente.
Christine Mummery is Professor of
Royal Netherlands Academy of Science
Developmental Biology at Leiden University
(KNAW), and board member of ISSCR, the
Christine Mummery
Medical Centre in the Netherlands and
KNAW and the Dutch Medical Research
Professor of Developmental
head of the Department of Anatomy and
Council (ZonMW). She was recently
Biology at Leiden University
Embryology. Her research concerns heart
awarded the Hugo van de Poelgeest
development and the differentiation of
Prize for Animal Alternatives in research.
pluripotent human stem cells into the
She co-authored a popular book on stem
cardiac and vascular lineages and using
cells “Stem Cells: scientific facts and
these cells as disease models, for safety
Fiction” in 2011 (2nd edition 2014) and
pharmacology, drug discovery and future
is editor in chief of the ISSCR journal
cardiac repair. She is a member of the
Stem Cell Reports.
Medical Centre
‘Human stem cells
as the new patient’
Live cell imaging: formation of a
blood vessel. Endothelial-pericyte
(in red) interactions in microfluidic
channels (source LUMC, UTwente)
“With the best of
nanotechnology and
stem cell technology
combined we facilitate the
development of optimal
medicine to the patient
and create new business
opportunities”
Albert van den Berg
Pneumatically actuated Cytostretch device with cardiomyocytes in a culture
medium, mimicking the beating heart (source Philips Research, TU Delft)
“Our tissue models will
not only reduce animal
experiments, they will be
better than animal models
for human disease: patients
and clinical trials of the
future?”
Cancer-on-a chip as envisioned to be developed within the
hDMT, to investigate cancer growth and metastasis (source
Philips Research, TU/e; animation by Freek van Hemert)
Christine Mummery
Partners in this program
Contact details
Prof. dr. ir. Albert van den Berg
[email protected]
+31 53 489 2691
University of Twente
P.O. Box 271
7500 AE Enschede