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Tissue Chip for Drug Screening

Testing chambers containing miniature laboratory-grown versions of kidneys.
Using Robots and Stem Cells to Produce Organ Models

NIH-supported researchers have developed an automated procedure to reliably grow 3-D tissue models called organoids in large quantities to test drugs on a large scale.

Tissue chip spinal cord
Tissue Chips Help Uncover Clues to How Cells “Talk” to Each Other

NIH-supported researchers at Cedars-Sinai have used stem cells and 3-D tissue chips to mimic conditions in the development of the human spinal cord.

About Tissue Chip

Read more about the Tissue Chip program and its goal to create 3-D organs-on-chips for drug safety and efficacy testing.

Tissue Chip Funding Information

Find more information about how the Tissue Chip program funds innovative research.

Meet Chip

Chip can help you learn about the innovative developments of the Tissue Chip for Drug Screening program at NCATS. Click on Chip's icons to learn more about the tissues and organ systems they represent, and read more about the entire project.

About Tissue Chip

Read more about the Tissue Chip program and its goal to create 3-D organs-on-chips for drug safety and efficacy testing.

Tissue Chip Funding Information

Find more information about how the Tissue Chip program funds innovative research.

Tissue Chip Initiatives & Projects

Learn more about Tissue Chip initiatives and research projects.

Meet Chip

Chip can help you learn about the innovative developments of the Tissue Chip for Drug Screening program at NCATS. Click on Chip's icons to learn more about the tissues and organ systems they represent, and read more about the entire project.

Work With Us

The Tissue Chip for Drug Screening program is designed to improve the way new drugs are developed and tested. Learn more about how you can join this effort.

Contact Danilo Tagle, Ph.D.

Why Tissue Chips Matter

Approximately 30 percent of promising medications have failed in human clinical trials because they are determined to be toxic — despite promising pre-clinical studies in animal and cell models. Tissue chips are a newer, human cell–based approach to this challenge. The chip devices may enable scientists to predict more accurately how effective a therapeutic candidate would be in clinical studies.

Eliminating toxic and/or ineffective drugs earlier in the development process would save time and money. These human tissue chips also could teach us a great deal about disease progression, enabling researchers to better prevent, diagnose and treat disorders. Learn more about the Tissue Chip for Drug Screening program.

Audio Transcript (TXT - 3KB)

Watch the Tissue Chip for Drug Screening video to learn more about the program. The media player works best when viewed in Chrome or Internet Explorer browsers.

Tissue Chip Facts

Download the Tissue Chip fact sheet(PDF - 337KB).

NCATS Programs & Initiatives

3-D Tissue Bioprinting Program

A Specialized Platform for Innovative Research Exploration

Assay Development and Screening Technology

Assay Guidance Manual

Biomedical Data Translator

Bridging Interventional Development Gaps

Chemistry Technology

Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program

Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules

Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center

Matrix Combination Screening

NCATS Chemical Genomics Center

NCATS Toolkit for Patient-Focused Therapy Development

NIH Common Fund Programs

Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation

Rare Diseases Registry Program

Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network

Trans-NIH RNAi Facility

Small Business Innovation Research & Small Business Technology Transfer

Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases

Tissue Chip for Drug Screening

Toxicology in the 21st Century