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Researchers at the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the Barcelona Center for International Health Research (CRESIB) have developed a functional 3D model of the first human “splenon-on-a-chip”, a device that acts as if it were a real organ. This breakthrough in microengineering is a significant step forward in the “organ-on-a-chip” field.

The study published in the journal Lab on a Chip was led by the groups of Hernando Del Portillo, CRESIB ICREA professor, and Josep Samitier, director of the IBEC. The two teams joined forces to better understand the role the spleen plays in malaria. Del Portillo explains, “Because of ethical and technological limitations, very little progress has been made in the study of the spleen, which is known as the ‘black box’ of the abdominal cavity.”

The scientists leading this study were able to make this 3D “splenon-on-a-chip” functional by reproducing the physical properties of the living organ on a microscopic scale. The new device can filter blood to detect microorganisms and old red blood cells or those with malaria. It is expected to be used to find potential new drugs for this and other blood diseases, making animal models unnecessary.

Video of a working splenon-on-a-chip.

More information is available in the joint release from the IBEC and the CRESIB.

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