INTELLECTUALS – An innovative microplate model to investigate the safety, toxicity, and potency of pharmaceutical compounds in osteoarthritis

Medace to participate in OP Zuid supported innovation project to standardize and scale up preclinical microfluidic model for Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an age-related, degenerative joint disease that leads to pain, swelling and stiffness. Worldwide, 595 million people suffer from OA. The World Health Organization (WHO) expects this number to will double by around 2050 because of the growing and aging society. Compared to other parts of the Netherlands, OA in the southern Netherlands has a very high incidence and impact due to increasing aging. Current treatments are limited and focused primarily on controlling pain and inflammation. If these treatment options are not successful, in extreme cases, surgical joint replacement may offer relief. Unfortunately, a curative treatment option for regenerative cartilage repair is not yet available. Two different models are currently being used for OA research: in vitro (cell culture) models and in vivo (laboratory animal) models. Current in vitro models lack the relevant, typical 3D microstructure, the interaction with surrounding cell types, and the ability to replicate physical, chemical, and biomechanical OA stimuli. replicate. Moreover, these model studies require considerable time and expertise for accurate execution. Although experimental animal models are more representative, anatomical, histological, biomechanical, and physiological differences result in poor translation of results toward the clinic. From the pharmaceutical industry, knowledge institutions, and hospitals, the demand is therefore high for a cost-effective high-throughput model that can accurately mimic OA.

Within this OPZuid project, the consortium will use microfluidics and nano manufacturing processes to reduce the individual chip dimensions, scale up and parallelize the current format from 1 to 24 test chambers per chip, broaden the functionalities of the IN-Chip, standardize and scale up the manufacturing process, and validate and implement the IN-Chip according to GLP and ISO standards. Finally, the predictive value of the IN-Chip will be validated with both patient-specific cells and regenerative drugs.

For more information check the project website.