At Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, scientists have developed miniature lab-grown hearts known as organoids. These organoids are created from a patient’s own stem cells and are used by doctors to test which medicines might be most effective for individual patients. This approach may help reduce the time spent on finding the right treatment and could decrease reliance on animal testing.
Organoids like these represent a shift in how drugs are tested. The use of animals for drug safety has been required since 1937, after a medication incident resulted in over 100 deaths due to toxicity that was not detected before release. Despite decades of animal testing, some drugs still reach the market with unforeseen toxic effects.
The move toward organoid-based testing is supported by policymakers, researchers, and business leaders who seek more accurate and humane methods for drug development. This change could improve patient safety and lower the costs associated with bringing new drugs to market.
“Children’s Mercy Announces Breakthrough in Personalized Therapy for Rare Genetic Diseases,” said Children’s Mercy Research Institute.
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