The Tissue Chip for Drug Screening program aims to develop bioengineered devices to improve the process of predicting whether drugs will be safe or toxic in humans. Learn more.
Tissue Chip for Drug Screening
Tissue Chips in Space
NCATS-supported researchers will send miniaturized tissue chip systems to the International Space Station on April 30. Four projects using the systems will support the study of aging-related conditions and potential treatments for them. 
Researchers from the Tissue Chip Testing Center at Texas A&M University have evaluated a kidney-on-a-chip’s ability to perform the same functions as real kidneys.
Scientists at NCATS’ Assay Development and Screening Technology Program are developing new methods for screening small molecules that could help researchers test possible drugs and develop new treatments for many diseases.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
