What is the best way to study human disease? Cells? Animals? How about human organs that are grown in the lab?!
Amazing breakthroughs have made it possible to grow 'organs' from just a few cells. Researchers have created models of breast, lungs, and the digestive system, among others. These 'organs-on-a-chip' can be used to study normal biology and diseases - including cancer. We have much more to learn, and these new models allow us to look at human cells, doing what they do inside the body. Importantly, the models allow for researchers to test the response of organs to drugs and explore disease conditions.
Image Credit
An intestinal organoid. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Intestinal_organoid.PNG
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