In vitro microscale systems for systematic drug toxicity study.
After administration, drugs go through a complex, dynamic process of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion. The resulting time-dependent concentration, termed pharmacokinetics (PK), is critical to the pharmacological response from patients. An in vitro system that can test the dynamics of drug effects in a more systematic way would save time and costs in drug development. Integration of microfabrication and cell culture techniques has resulted in 'cells-on-a-chip' technology, which is showing promise for high-throughput drug screening in physiologically relevant manner. In this review, we summarize current research efforts which ultimately lead to in vitro systems for testing drug's effect in PK-based manner. In particular, we highlight the contribution of microscale systems towards this goal. We envision that the 'cells-on-a-chip' technology will serve as a valuable link between in vitro and in vivo studies, reducing the demand for animal studies, and making clinical trials more effective.
Sung
Jong Hwan
JH
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. jhs45@cornell.edu
Shuler
Michael L
ML
D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D006801:Humans; D046228:Microarray Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D010599:Pharmacokinetics