Human-Based Methods Can Improve Quality and Availability of Research for Poorly Served Communities

Study in a Sentence: Researchers from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala and Stockholm University present a perspective on how organ-on-a-chip technologies can bypass costly animal experiments and enable accurate, scalable human-relevant research even in resource-limited settings.

Healthy for Humans: Accessible research methods that are capable of accurately modeling human biology are paramount to advancing human health and developing new treatments. Due to species-specific differences, there are fundamental limitations in predicting human clinical outcomes with animal experiments. Resource-limited communities with less substantial regulatory oversight, shortages of trained staff, and inadequate infrastructure are disproportionately harmed by the failure of animal experiments to translate to human health findings.

Redefining Research: Organ chip technology can replicate human biology and disease more accurately than animal experiments. This technology can use patient-derived cells, allowing it to model population-specific conditions in underserved communities and advance personalized medicine. Additionally, the lower costs associated with the development and use of organ chips, along with the standardization of this technology, can help resource-limited areas overcome existing research barriers.