PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Tissue Chip for Drug Screening program represents the largest federal investment in microphysiological systems. Launched in 2012, the program has invested over $200 million to develop, validate, and commercialize human tissue chip technology for predicting drug safety and efficacy.
PROGRAM PHASES
- Phase I (2012-2014): Initial tissue chip development - 17 projects funded
- Phase II (2014-2017): Integration and validation - Multi-organ systems
- Phase IIB (2017-2022): Clinical validation and disease modeling
- Phase III (2022-present): Regulatory qualification and commercialization
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
- Developed functional chips for 15+ organ systems
- ISS National Lab experiments validating space-based tissue chips
- FDA collaboration for regulatory pathway development
- Multiple commercial spin-offs from funded research
- Published >500 peer-reviewed papers from program research
PARTNER INSTITUTIONS
Major research centers include MIT, Harvard/Wyss Institute, University of Washington, University of Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt University, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.