Riga, Latvia – November 20, 2024. The FLAMIN-GO consortium gathered for its 5th Interim Meeting at Riga Technical University to review progress, share insights, and address challenges in developing organ-on-chip technology for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The meeting highlighted advancements in the RA joint-on-chip, comprising inflamed synovial, blood vessel, and osteochondral units—essential to create a functional RA synovia-on-chip device.
Funded under the EU’s Horizon 2020 program, FLAMIN-GO seeks to pioneer precision medicine for RA by creating an autologous joint model tailored to individual patients, starting from a small synovial biopsy. This innovative model enables simultaneous drug testing to identify the best treatment for each subject.
“The project followed a LEGO-like approach, where each tissue—synovia, cartilage and bone—has been initially developed by different partners and has now been integrated into a groundbreaking platform at the University of Eastern Piedmont – UPO,” explained project Coordinator Prof. Annalisa Chiocchetti. “With this platform, we are ready to begin clinical trials on chip, for its validation.”
Riga Technical University: A Key Host and Contributor
Hosting the meeting, Riga Technical University (RTU) emphasized its commitment to biomaterials research. “This project aligns with our vision to foster innovation and collaboration, revolutionizing healthcare and sustainable technologies,” said Dr Janis Locs, RTU representative.
RTU plays a crucial role in developing the osteochondral tissue compartment and employs micro-computed tomography to investigate SoC units. Future plans include advancing cell-specific tissue staining technologies to enhance analytical capabilities, further driving innovation in RA research.
Technological Advancements and clinical validation efforts
Dr Alessandro Polini (CNR) shared recent progress in the RA synovia-on-chip, which now incorporates immune cells from patients to study drug responses. “Despite challenges in integrating sensing technologies into cellularized devices, the platform holds immense potential to tailor RA treatments to individual needs,” Polini noted.
Turning towards clinical applications, Dr Liliane Fossati from Queen Mary University London (QMUL) discussed efforts to simulate RA-affected joints and evaluate patient-specific drug responses. “While current designs are complex, simplified, clinically viable versions are on the horizon,” Fossati emphasized.
Regulatory Alignment for Success
The meeting concluded with a regulatory workshop led by Joan Cabellos (ASPHALION—Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Consultancy), which focused on aligning technological advancements with regulatory standards. Cabellos explained, “Regulatory alignment is crucial to ensuring these devices meet consistent safety and performance standards across regions, fostering trust and streamlining approval processes.”
Collaboration with regulatory bodies and industry experts was identified as key to addressing hurdles such as the lack of specific guidelines and challenges in demonstrating safety and efficacy. Tailored validation protocols and international cooperation are critical for advancing organ-on-chip technologies to clinical adoption.
Next steps
During the meeting in Riga, the consortium also brainstormed on future Horizon calls, with the purpose of increasing the technology readiness level of our device and helping AI-TWIN, the start-up stemmed by FLAMIN-GO PROJECT, bring the JoC on the market, stated Francesca Gervaso, the project’s exploitation manager.
Contact:
Prof. Annalisa Chiocchetti, FLAMIN-GO Project Coordinator
annalisa.chiocchetti@med.uniupo.it