Blood cells on a chip will allow you to learn more about thrombosis and their treatment

    On average, it takes five billion dollars to bring the drug market to the United States, of which 60% goes to research. The use of models of human organs will reduce costs and reduce the cost of development, and the absence of the need to use experimental animals will make drug testing for humans more effective.

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    Organ-on-chip technology was created at Harvard . Researchers reproduce the microarchitecture and functions of living organs, in the list of successful experiments are the heart, lungs, intestines. Each chip consists of a transparent polymer, has a flash drive size and contains hollow microchannels in which human living cells are located.

    In March 2015, a heart on a chip was created at the University of California at Berkeley: living cells pulsate and respond to drugs. Scientists “packed” the cells with a microcircuit, the cells formed a tissue and a day later began to pulsate with a frequency of 55 to 80 beats per minute - this is a normal pulse of an average adult. When isoproterenol was applied to the heart, pulsation became more frequent.

    Company Emulate, Inc. develops a Harvard concept. The next step is thrombosis-on-a-chip : models mimic factors leading to the formation of blood clots. Clots can stop bleeding from a small wound, but rapid blood coagulation can block the flow to organs - the brain, heart and lungs.

    Deep vein thrombosis is characterized by the formation of blood clots in the deep veins, most often in the lower extremities. The disease occurs in 10-20% of the population and, if untreated, causes up to 15% of deaths from pulmonary embolism. A study of blood behavior will help pharmaceutical companies come up with more effective ways to treat such diseases. The chips will test new methods of treatment without harming living things.

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