Human bone marrow is a very complex tissue and it is not easy to maintain all cell subsets within this organ. In our bone and bone marrow chip we try to combine primary patient tissue, cells and human bone scaffolds to develop a xeno-free test system for various clinical questions. Ranging from the impact of orthopedic implant material on immune cells within the bone marrow, tracking bone metabolism and testing substances on their anti-inflammatory properties on T and B cells of the adaptive Immune system. This has different challenges and projects are advanced to different degrees. Bone cells are easier to culture than immune cells and immune cells are easier to analyze than bone cells in their quantity. The bone and bone marrow chip can be used to show distributions of metal debris from corrosion and wear from implant material. Bone resorbing cells, Osteoclasts, can be cultured from bone marrow and blood cells and seeded onto the chip to test rare diseases and B cell development can be studied in vitro in its “natural habitat”. Therefore interesting protocols and scientific debate surrounds our new non-animal method, of which Melanie Ort will give some insight and ideas what it is like to work with human primary material from the clinic and tissue chip systems. Working in a clinical setting can be challenging in some aspects while it bears a lot of potential, different skill sets are needed to combine patient centered research with basic science.
free registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/3rs-training-webinar-a-human-bonebone-marrow-on-a-chip-approach-tickets-772209859477