組織工(gōng)程技術在快速發展30年後，由最初的簡單組織構建（例如皮膚的構建）逐步發展到複雜髒器以及微生(shēng)理系統的制備。在2014年，由美國國家衛生(shēng)研究院（NIH）、美國國防部研究計劃推動局（DARPA）和美國食品和藥物(wù)管理局（FDA）共同參與、資(zī)助了微生(shēng)理系統的開(kāi)發及應用工(gōng)作，包括貝勒醫學院、哥倫比亞大(dà)學、康乃爾大(dà)學、杜克大(dà)學、約翰霍普金斯大(dà)學、麻薩諸塞州總醫院和哈佛醫學院、麻省理工(gōng)學院、西北大(dà)學、諾華制藥、加州大(dà)學歐文分(fēn)校、中(zhōng)佛羅裏達大(dà)學、賓夕法尼亞大(dà)學、匹茲堡大(dà)學、德州大(dà)學醫療分(fēn)部、以及範德堡大(dà)學等20多個研究機構參與了這一(yī)宏大(dà)的計劃。

    微生(shēng)理系統（也常被稱爲器官芯片）指在體(tǐ)外(wài)構建類似人體(tǐ)各種組織及器官間聯系的系統，每個系統被設計用來模拟人類器官或内髒器官區域的結構和功能，并且通過微流控系統連接。它們可在體(tǐ)外(wài)以極大(dà)的生(shēng)理精度來模拟、研究藥物(wù)與細胞間，細胞與細胞間，器官與器官間的相互作用。
    根據2014年的論文報導，目前正在進行微生(shēng)理系統的開(kāi)發與應用研究，比如在體(tǐ)外(wài)模型中(zhōng)的骨和軟骨，腦，胃腸道，肺，肝，心髒，微血管，生(shēng)殖道，骨骼肌，皮膚，和器官芯片之互連來進行生(shēng)理藥物(wù)動力學、藥物(wù)發現和篩選，以及調節幹細胞增殖與分(fēn)化等。創建微生(shēng)理系統的最初目标是爲了提升人類相關藥物(wù)之研發與測試的效率。該技術着重應用于包括環境毒素對人類的影響，化學品及生(shēng)化武器之鑒定、控制誘導多功能性幹細胞的特定分(fēn)化，以及人體(tǐ)器官間之代謝與信号轉導的動态變化。爲了推動微生(shēng)理系統的發展，我(wǒ)們必須整合多個技術領域，包括微流控芯片、幹細胞生(shēng)物(wù)學、三維微結構/矩陣、多細胞工(gōng)程、各種生(shēng)物(wù)檢測技術和資(zī)料庫工(gōng)具，以及計算單一(yī)或是多個器官系統的電腦模型。微生(shēng)理系統将革命性的改變基礎生(shēng)物(wù)學，生(shēng)理學，藥理學，毒理學和藥物(wù)，以及一(yī)個新的領域：定量系統藥理學，因爲反複性實驗、疾病模型、藥效學和藥物(wù)動力學計算模型是這一(yī)新領域的核心。微生(shēng)理系統應該着重在創造出具有生(shēng)理意義、簡易、可重複、以及具有成本效益的工(gōng)具來造福整個科學界。
    美國食品藥品管理局國家毒理學研究中(zhōng)心主任評論到：“利用微生(shēng)理系統從生(shēng)理學、毒理學模拟人體(tǐ)反應來看，确實是有可能的；大(dà)量的基礎生(shēng)物(wù)學和生(shēng)理學技術的整合利用也将使我(wǒ)們對于人類健康和疾病過程有更多的了解。”

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