Organ-on-a-chip systems are emerging rapidly: they will be capable of mimicking the functionality of an entire organ, by using just a tiny part of it on a microchip with fluid channels. Researchers of the University of Twente already booked good results with arteries, heart muscle and the liver. Although the retina has a layered structure with complex fluid regulation, and it consumes a lot of energy, its function can be mimicked on a chip as well. This is thanks to nanotechnology of MESA+ and to stem cell technology, making it possible to culture retina tissue using patients’ stem cells. This strongly personalizes diagnostics and therapy.
