News (The Pak Global Pakistan):
(London Web Desk) – Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute in the UK have unveiled a groundbreaking “lung-on-a-chip” model, created using stem cells from a single individual, to study how lungs respond to respiratory infections such as tuberculosis.
Led by Dr Max Gutierrez, the project marks a significant advancement in medical research, allowing scientists to test therapies on a miniature version of a patient’s own lung. This approach aims to improve treatment effectiveness while reducing reliance on animal testing.
The model employs organ-on-a-chip technology, with lung cells grown on a thin membrane inside a device that simulates natural breathing. This setup enables detailed observation of interactions between immune cells and disease-causing bacteria in the early stages of infection.
Unlike previous models that relied on mixed cells from multiple donors, this innovation uses genetically identical cells from a single individual. Laboratory tests revealed that the lung’s cellular barrier began to break down five days after tuberculosis infection, closely replicating the early progression of the disease in humans.
This breakthrough aligns with global efforts to promote personalized medicine and reduce animal experimentation, offering new opportunities to tailor treatments based on individual differences in disease response and outcomes.