DigiLoCS: A Leap Forward in Predictive Organ-on-Chip Simulations
Authors: Aravindakshan Manoja Rajalakshmi , Mandal Chittaranjan , Pothen Alex , Maass Christian 
Published: March 2024

Digital twins, driven by data and mathematical modelling, have emerged as powerful tools for simulating complex biological systems. In this work, we focus on modelling the clearance on a liver-on-chip as a digital twin that closely mimics the clearance functionality of the human liver. Our approach involves the creation of a compartmental physiological model of the liver using ordinary differential equations (ODEs) to estimate pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters related to on-chip liver clearance.

The objectives of this study were twofold: first, to predict human clearance values, and second, to propose a framework for bridging the gap betweenin vitrofindings and their clinical relevance. The methodology integrated quantitative Organ-on-Chip (OoC) and cell-based assay analyses of drug depletion kinetics and is further enhanced by incorporating an OoC-digital twin model to simulate drug depletion kinetics in humans.

Thein vitroliver clearance for 32 drugs was predicted using a digital-twin model of the liver-on-chip andin vitrotoin vivoextrapolation (IVIVE) was assessed using time series PK data. Three ODEs in the model define the drug concentrations in media, interstitium and intracellular compartments based on biological, hardware, and physicochemical information. A key issue in determining liver clearance appears to be the insufficient drug concentration within the intracellular compartment. The digital twin establishes a connection between the hardware chip structure and an advanced mapping of the underlying biology, specifically focusing on the intracellular compartment.

Our modelling offers the following benefits:i) better prediction of intrinsic liver clearance of drugs compared to the state-of-the-art model andii) explainability of behaviour based on physiological parameters. Finally, we illustrate the clinical significance of this approach by applying the findings to humans, utilising propranolol as a proof-of-concept example. This study stands out as the biggest cross-organ-on-chip platform investigation to date, systematically analysing and predicting human clearance values using data obtained from variousin vitroliver-on-chip systems.

Author summary

Accurate prediction ofin vivoclearance fromin vitrodata is important as inadequate understanding of the clearance of a compound can lead to unexpected and undesirable outcomes in clinical trials, ranging from underdosing to toxicity. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model estimation of liver clearance is explored. The aim is to develop digital twins capable of determining better predictions of clinical outcomes, ultimately reducing the time, cost, and patient burden associated with drug development. Various hepaticin vitrosystems are compared and their effectiveness for predicting human clearance is investigated. The developed tool, DigiLoCs, focuses explicitly on accurately describing complex biological processes within liver-chip systems. ODE-constrained optimisation is applied to estimate the clearance of compounds. DigiLoCs enable differentiation between active biological processes (metabolism) and passive processes (permeability and partitioning) by incorporating detailed information on compound-specific characteristics and hardware-specific data. These findings signify a significant stride towards more accurate and efficient drug development methodologies.