Scientists Model Inflammatory Bowel Disease on a Chip

Scientists have developed a new 'colon chip' that mimics inflammatory bowel disease in a laboratory setting. The researchers believe this technology could help reveal the causes of the disease and also pave the way for more effective treatments. In a study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, a team led by Harvard University created a 'colon chip' that mimics human colon tissue using cells from people with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The researchers noted that traditional cell cultures and animal models have been inadequate in reflecting all the characteristics of the disease, but the new system allows for a detailed examination of how different cell types in the colon interact during the inflammation process. One of the most striking findings was that fibroblast cells, which form connective tissue, may play a much more active role in the development of the disease than previously thought.