Development of a multi-organ chip connected by vascularized channels for application in personalized medicine.

• Grant number: 24/15861-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: July 01, 2026
• End date: June 30, 2030
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Emanuel Carrilho
• Grantee: Luíza Santa Brígida de Barros Góes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/10416-9 - Strengthening the production chains of babaçu, buriti, and Brazil nut through the sustainable production of protein concentrates, oils, and bioactive peptides, AP.R

Abstract

The process of new drug discovery is complex and faces significant challenges, such as a high failure rate and limitations in preclinical steps through the use of conventional methods such as 2D cell culture and animal testing. Although they play an important role in basic research, both formats have several limitations, especially the mimicry of human physiology. To overcome these limitations, microfluidic cell culture platforms, such as organ-on-a-chip (OoC) systems, represent a recent success in the search for in vitro human microphysiological models that can recapitulate functions at the level of organs, diseases, and even the organism. In recent years, organoids-on-chips (OrgOCs) have been proposed as a way to maximize the potential of OoCs, especially in the fields of disease modeling, drug development, and personalized medicine. This model combines human organoids with microfluidic OoCs devices, providing highly biomimetic in vitro models capable of predicting the body's responses to drugs and various other stimuli. Considering this, this project aims to develop a multi-organ-chip (MOC) device to analyze responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in gastric cancers in the context of personalized medicine. By combining organotypic microtissues with semipermeable endothelial barriers and a vascular fluid, it is intended to create a model closer to human physiological reality, allowing for more accurate and personalized testing through the use of patient-specific cells. This approach has the potential to revolutionize drug development and clinical practice, offering faster, more relevant insights for disease treatment.