Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications
Language
English
Publication Date
1-1-2026
Journal
Ethics & Human Research
DOI
10.1002/eahr.70031
PMID
42391336
PMCID
PMC13327176
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
7-2-2026
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Abstract
Organ chips, also known as organ-on-a-chip devices, tissue chips, or microphysiological systems, have emerged over the last decade as a promising translational technology amidst growing concern about the translational crisis between laboratory research and patient bedside. Pointing to high rates of failure between nonhuman animal models and safety and efficacy in humans, organ chips and similar new approach methods have attracted substantial public and private investment. As human-cell-based alternatives to animal models, organ chips promise more predictive, efficient, and ethical platforms for pharmaceutical and toxicity testing. Engineered cultivation systems that enable cells to assemble into tissue-like structures (e.g. kidney, brain, liver), organ chips mimic tissue architecture and function and live for extended periods of time. This essay considers the translational bioethics issues raised by organ chips, including those that arise early in development such as the obfuscation of cell-origin data, representation in design, and the normalization of conflicts of interest within commercialization-oriented translational science efforts. Integrating a translational bioethics lens from the outset, rather than deferring social and ethical implications analysis to downstream points in technology development and adoption, is essential to realizing the translational promise of organ chips while avoiding the reproduction of existing inequities and ethical conundrums.
Keywords
Humans, Translational Research, Biomedical, Microphysiological Systems, Animals, Bioethical Issues, Lab-On-A-Chip Devices, new approach methodologies (NAMs), organ‐on‐a‐chip technologies, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), human donor data, human‐based research technologies, animal models, conflicts of interest, FDA Modernization Act 2.0
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Melanie Jeske, "Organ Chips and Translational Research: Identifying and Examining New Ethical Issues" (2026). Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications. 288.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/med_ethics/288