The UK Medical Research Council (MRC) has announced a £20 million investment in a new research hub that will use human-based laboratory models and artificial intelligence to improve the development and testing of medicines, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
Led by the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute (CSCI), the UK Pre-clinical Translational Models Hub will combine organoids, stem cell-derived systems, bioengineering and AI to create models that more accurately reflect human diseases.
Organoids are miniature versions of human tissues grown in laboratories. Researchers can use them to study diseases and test potential treatments before clinical trials.
“Because these miniature human tissues retain many of the unique biological characteristics of the individual patient, they allow us to understand disease more accurately and test potential treatments before they ever reach the clinic,” Hub Director Professor Matthias Zilbauer said.
According to Zilbauer, the technology could lead to more effective and personalised treatments while reducing drug development costs, time and reliance on animal models.
The Hub will establish a nationwide network involving hospitals, research institutions and industry partners to develop, validate and expand the use of human-based preclinical models.
Professor Bertie Göttgens, Co-Director of the Hub, said combining stem cell biology, organoid technology and AI would “accelerate the development of next-generation human disease models.”
The initiative also aims to address a major challenge in drug development, where treatments that perform well in animal testing may later fail in humans.
“Too many medicines that work in animals go on to fail in people,” UK Science Minister Chris McDonald said. He added that testing treatments on human tissue grown from patients’ own cells could help scientists determine much earlier which therapies are likely to work.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that a growing number of pet owners are turning the fur or ashes of their beloved companions into laboratory-grown diamonds, combining advanced technology with a lasting tribute to pets that have passed away.