META-CHIP

META-CHIP Development of a lung METAstasis-on-a-CHIP model for osteosarcoma as a biomimetic testing platform for drug discovery and therapeutic innovation

Project Start Date: 1st September 2024

ERC starting grant award

Dr Freeman will receive €1.5 million for her project ‘Development of a lung METAstasis-on-a-CHIP model for osteosarcoma as a biomimetic testing platform for drug discovery and therapeutic innovation (META-CHIP).’

Osteosarcoma is a highly aggressive bone cancer that affects young people. Secondary lung metastasis is the most critical clinical factor, with 70% of those who develop lung metastasis succumbing to the disease within 3 years. The standard-of-care treatment plan today is no different to when first introduced almost 50 years ago. Accelerating cures remains a challenge, partly due to osteosarcoma being a relatively rare disease, which makes the conduct of large clinical trials investigating novel therapies a difficult endeavour.

Through the META-CHIP project, Dr Freeman will be the first to develop a lung metastasis-on-a-chip model for osteosarcoma, as a biomimetic testing platform for drug discovery and therapeutic innovation. Roughly the size of a USB memory stick, organ-on-a-chip devices recapitulate the complex structures and functions of human organs. These living, three-dimensional replicas offer insights into organs’ inner workings and the effects that drugs can have on them, all without involving humans or animals.

META-CHIP has the potential to revolutionise drug development and treatment of osteosarcoma patients by being the first ex vivo testing platform capable of predicting a patient’s response to therapies in real-time.

Project (group) website: https://www.ucd.ie/freemanlab/

AMBER Researcher & Coordinator: AI Fiona Freeman, UCD