Researchers at South Korea’s Centre for Scientific Instrumentation have developed a bone-on-a-chip platform that could revolutionise the development and testing of treatments for conditions such as osteoporosis.
In a study published in peer-reviewed journal Bioengineering and Translational Medicine, the researchers detailed how they used cells from mice to generate miniature bone structures on a bone-on-a-chip platform that accurately replicated important aspects of bone biology like cell differentiation and growth.
The development of the platform gains significance as bone models are not as common as other organ-on-a-chip platforms due to the complexity associated with replicating bone tissue. This is because bones consist of different types of cells arranged in a specific structure.
Obtaining and growing human bone cells in a lab is still a challenge, so animal cells are often used for research, which is what the researchers from South Korea have also done. They cultured the mice bone cells in a gel-like material, resembling the natural bone environment, and used artificial intelligence-based image analysis to study the bone biology.
However, it should be noted that their platform is yet to be demonstrated on a human cells, and trials must be conducted successfully for years before this technology could potentially hit the market.
Assessing Drug Efficacy
Dr Shaikh Shahbaz, consultant rheumatologist and orthopaedician at Asian Bone Care Super Speciality Hospital in Nanded, Maharashtra, is highly optimistic of the integration of AI-based image analysis into bone-on-a-chip platforms.
He says this will “significantly enhance the prediction of drug efficacy for human bone formation,” and could be of value in evaluating newer biological drugs for treating osteoporosis. “These platforms offer enhanced accuracy in studying the effects of drugs on bone health,” added Dr Shahbaz.
Moreover, such a bone-on-a-chip platform could be used to study various other bone-related conditions such as bone tumours, cancers, fracture healing, and joint diseases such as arthritis, he said.
Osteoporosis drug impact on bone formation
Osteoporosis is a condition characterised by weakened bones and is traditionally treated with an antibody drug administered through injections. This treatment is commonly prescribed for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis or individuals at high risk of fractures.
To test their bone-on-a-chip platform, the South Korean researchers studied the effects of osteoporosis drugs by looking at a protein involved in bone formation. They compared how this protein behaved in cells treated with the drugs versus cells that were not treated.
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They found that in the cells treated with the drug, the protein was more concentrated in one part of the cell, while in the untreated cells, the presence of the protein was spread out. The drug-treated cells also had higher levels of the protein compared to the untreated cells.
These findings suggest that the bone-on-a-chip platform, when combined with AI image analysis, can be a useful way to test the effectiveness of osteoporosis drugs.
“By culturing these cells together on a bone-on-a-chip platform, we can gain valuable insights into how they regulate bone formation and resorption. This knowledge will contribute to improving treatment strategies for osteoporosis,” the researchers, led by Kyurim Paek and Min Kyeong Kim, wrote.
Future potential of bone-on-a-chip tech
“In the future, as technology advances and becomes more feasible and economical, the bone-on-a-chip platform has the potential to transform the field of drug development and testing,” says Dr Shahbaz.
However, he adds that harnessing the capabilities of this technology will take some time, both due to complexity of the problem as well as the costs associated with it. “Currently, access to this platform is limited to a select group of pharmaceutical companies that specialize in the development of high-end drugs,” he added.
“These newer drugs are expected to be more effective and superior compared to previous drugs,” the authors of the paper added.
