A WUT researcher will apply new technologies in research on antidepressant drugs

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders worldwide, which is why the search for new treatment methods remains a major challenge for science. In a project carried out at the Faculty of Chemistry of Warsaw University of Technology, researchers will develop bioanalytical procedures to assess the effects of antidepressant drugs on the brain’s neurovascular unit (NVU). The research will use Organ-on-Chip technology, which enables the simultaneous modelling of brain function and hepatic metabolism under laboratory conditions.

Depression and research challenges

According to the World Health Organization, depression affects around 4% of the global population and is one of the major risk factors for suicide. Although effective treatments are available, there is still a need for new drugs and a better understanding of how they work.

Research on potential therapies is most often conducted using animal models or conventional cell cultures. However, these methods have their limitations—animal models differ from the human body in terms of physiology, while traditional two-dimensional cell cultures fail to fully replicate the complex processes occurring in tissues.

Organ-on-Chip – miniature organ models

One of the emerging solutions is Organ-on-Chip technology, which employs microfluidic systems to culture cells from various tissues. This approach enables the recreation of specific human organ functions under controlled laboratory conditions, allowing for a more realistic assessment of drug effects.

In the proposed project, this technology will be applied to develop the NeuroHepaticSync microsystem, allowing simultaneous study of a brain neurovascular unit (NVU) model and a liver tissue model. This is crucial, as many drugs undergo metabolic transformations in the liver after administration, which can influence their effects in the brain.

“We aim to create a laboratory model that allows simultaneous observation of brain cell responses while taking liver metabolism into account,” emphasizes Agnieszka Żuchowska, PhD, the project leader. “This will enable a more realistic assessment of the effects of potential antidepressant drugs.”

How will the project be carried out?

The research will be conducted in stages. First, the researchers will design the NeuroHepaticSync microsystem, enabling the cultivation of tissue models in a microfluidic environment. Subsequently, methods for the fabrication of liver tissue and neurovascular unit models will be developed and optimized.

The next step will involve the morphological, metabolic, and biochemical characterization of the developed models. At a later stage, a controlled inflammatory state will be induced in the neurovascular unit model, allowing for the analysis of changes associated with processes observed in depressive disorders.

Finally, the researchers will evaluate the effects of potential antidepressant drugs on the developed model—both in the presence and absence of the liver tissue model.

Potential applications of the research results

The project combines elements of biotechnology, bioanalysis, microfluidic technology, and medical diagnostics. The results obtained may contribute to a better understanding of the neurovascular unit and provide new tools for drug testing.

In the future, the developed technology could also be applied to research on other neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, as well as in studying substances that influence blood–brain barrier permeability.

The project titled ”Development of bioanalytical procedures to assess the effects of antidepressants on the neurovascular unit (NVU), taking into account hepatic metabolism in an Organ-on-Chip model” will be carried out under the SONATA BIS 15 grant awarded by the National Science Centre. A total of PLN 3,390,380 has been granted to support the research.