Organ-on-a-chip technologies enable researchers to recapitulate the complexity of human physiology in vitro, offering dynamic, microengineered environments that mimic in vivo structure and function. These systems are particularly powerful when generated from patient-derived cells, providing disease models that capture individual genetic backgrounds and overcoming the translational limitations of non-human animal models.

Versatile by design, organ-on-a-chip platforms can be applied across the drug development pipeline, from early-stage high-throughput screening to precision, patient-tailored therapeutic testing. In the drug discovery phase, the complexity and scalability of this technology allow for the tailored selection of hits based on multiple outcomes, such as efficacy and toxicity, at an early stage in development. This integrated approach improves candidate selection, steering it toward treatments with higher efficacy and safety profiles. In the clinical translation space, organ-on-a-chip devices enable personalised medicine strategies, predicting individual responses to therapy and identifying potential toxicities before administration, ultimately reducing adverse outcomes and improving patient care.

This JoVE collection will showcase state-of-the-art methodologies, protocols, and applications of organ-on-a-chip systems in therapeutic research and development. We aim to accelerate the adoption of organ-on-a-chip approaches, foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, and bridge the gap between basic research, translational studies, and clinical application, advancing the creation of safer, more effective treatments.