Bridging silicon and carbon worlds with digital twins and on-chip systems in drug discovery

Abstract

This perspective discusses the convergence of digital twin (DT) technology and on-the-chip systems as pivotal innovations in precision medicine, substantially advancing drug discovery. DT leverages extensive health data to create dynamic virtual patient models, enabling predictive insights and optimized treatment strategies. Concurrently, on-the-chip systems from the Carbon world replicate human biological processes on microfluidic platforms, providing detailed insights into disease mechanisms and pharmacological interactions. The convergence of these technologies promises to revolutionize drug development by enhancing therapeutic precision, accelerating discovery timelines, and reducing costs. Specifically, it assesses their role in drug development, from refining therapeutic precision to expediting discovery timelines and reducing the final price. Nevertheless, integrating these technologies faces challenges, including data collection and privacy concerns, technical intricacies, and clinical adoption barriers. This manuscript argues for interdisciplinary cooperation to navigate these challenges, positing DTs and on-the-chip technologies as foundational elements in personalized healthcare and drug discovery.