Vet varsity, NIT join hands for organ chip to replace mice in drug research

Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) has partnered with the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela, Odisha, to pioneer advanced organ-on-chip platforms that could one day replace mice in drug testing, said officials. The collaboration is part of a multi-institutional programme aimed at reducing reliance on laboratory animals in cancer research.

The NIT will spearhead engineering of the microchip devices and the veterinary university will take charge of biological validation, testing how these miniature organ models respond to anti-cancer drugs, the officials added.

Organ-on-chip systems are tiny devices, embedded with living cells, designed to mimic the structure and function of human organs. Researchers are currently developing three-dimensional cancer spheroids representing liver, pancreas, lung, skin and cornea. These spheroids behave like tumours in humans, offering scientists a precise and humane alternative for drug testing.

Once the chips are ready, they will be sent to the veterinary university here for validation. Scientists will compare drug responses on these models with those observed in animals, ensuring accuracy before wider adoption.

Veterinary university Vice-Chancellor JPS Gill said, “This collaboration will strengthen our role in cutting-edge biomedical research and align with global efforts to shift towards non-animal methods in drug development.”

Manu M, assistant professor, Department of Microbial and Environment Biotechnology, said, “These systems can provide a more humane and scientifically reliable platform for testing.”

On the scope of the project, he said, “We will evaluate the organ-on-chip models for their response to drug testing. The models will include cancer spheroids and will be evaluated for their response to drug testing.”