General presentation

What are are organs- and organoids-on-chip ?

Organs and organoids on a chip (O&OoC) are miniaturized devices containing substructures of living organs in a controlled microenvironment within a microfluidic chip. They can reproduce one or more aspects of the architecture, dynamics and functions of the organ, or even of several interconnected organs, with the possibility of monitoring the different functions in real time.

These devices could, for example, mimic the onset and progression of tumors or pathologies such as diabetes or metabolic syndrome, in order to predict the effectiveness of treatment and determine the best treatment for each patient. This will also accelerate basic and pharmacological research, as well as personalized medicine, while reducing animal testing.

The mission of MED-OOC

The main objective of MED-OOC will be to promote a new generation of biological models based on patient-derived cells and tissue precursors such as organoids capable of reproducing the physiological or pathological functioning of a human organ. These “on-chip” models will be equipped with advanced technologies to monitor and analyze their activity in real time. MED-OOC aims to achieve scientific and technological breakthroughs via three promising thematic axes:

  • Multi-sensing O&OoCs. Challenge: instrument O&OoCs with sensors and actuators that monitor several key parameters involved in tissue metabolism but also more “sophisticated” functions.
  • Patient-derived O&OoCs, “clinical twins” of patients for personalized medicine. Challenge: define and implement the minimum conditions necessary to faithfully imitate the patient’s pathology on-chip.
  • Multifunctional and multi-organ O&OoCs for new therapies. Challenge: develop these O&OoCs as preclinical models to screen and validate drugs, immuno- and biotherapies.
Un organoïde de cœur imaginé par l'IA

Among the main elements funded by this program are 4 targeted projects, an open call for projects, the deployment of platforms in hospital settings (“Open Translational Centers”), as well as training programs.