Create artificial lungs to test the treatment of lung cancer

Researchers at the Technical and Biotechnology Department at Fraunhofer Institute in Germany have created a miniature artificial lung with the potential to significantly improve the development of lung cancer treatments. Besides the ability to replace animal organs currently used to test pharmaceuticals, this artificial lung can be used to expand our understanding of the metastasis of lung cancer to muscles. other organs in the body.

With a volume of only half a cubic centimeter, the lungs include human lung cancer cells that grow on tissue and are attached to a bioreactor. To make the lungs "breathe", the reactor continuously injects an intermediate nutrient into artificial blood vessels. Thereby, this model can react to the same drug as in real patients.

Professor Heike Walles of the Regenerative Technologies for Oncology project team for renewable technology said: "We have developed an advanced 3D test system that allows us to simulate extremely well. What happens in the human body Animal models can be considered best to date, but they all produce similar results because 75% of pharmaceuticals are thought to be beneficial in testing on animals. things fail when used to treat people. "

Walles announced that: "Resistance therapies on clinical trials can be done in the same lung model" and he hopes that in the future it is possible to create lungs of each patient. . Currently, the model can perform cell tests collected from the biopsy process to analyze a patient's cancerous tumor.

The model can also adjust the speed and depth of breathing patterns and can be used to delve into metastasis. Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from one part of the body to another that is not adjacent. Previous studies can only be done on animals or 2D models. Therefore, the potential 3D model will enhance our understanding of metastasis many times.

The Fraunhofer study will be presented to the public at the BIO International conference in San Diego on June 23.