Kyoto University The Kazuo Takayama lab reports that PDMS-based liver-on-chip naturally absorb some drugs, which affects drug toxicity results. Liver-on-a-chip are miniaturized devices that capture the physiological and mechanical properties of the liver. They are commonly used by researchers to study how the liver metabolizes different compounds and drugs. In a new study seen in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, CiRA Junior Associate Professor Kazuo Takayama and colleagues report which drugs based on their physicochemical properties are most suitable when using liver-on-a-chip to study drug toxicity. One of the most important tests for any drug approval is hepatotoxicity. In fact, the United States Food and Drug Administration claims it is the number one cause of safety-related drug withdrawal from the market. Thus, exhaustive testing is mandatory, as otherwise a company that has invested billions of dollars on a drug could see it all lost because of this danger
Kyoto University
Graphical abstract The Kazuo Takayama lab shows how iPS cells can be used to study SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. With more than 125 million people infected and nearly 3 million dead, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the world in inconceivable ways. Adding to the challenge is that the patient condition varies widely, from the asymptomatic to respiratory failure and death. A new study by CiRA researchers shows how iPS cells can be used to study infection by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), revealing gender differences seen with the disease. One of the devasting aspects of COVID-19 is its unpredictable nature. An unknown number of people infected are asymptomatic, and those that do show symptoms range widely, from mild to severe.