Latvia: Organ-on-chip technology: a new approach to drug discovery

Organ-on-chip technology is having a transformative effect on contemporary medical research. With physiologically accurate models, researchers can closely study human cell behaviour and diseases to develop new drugs. Latvian company, Cellbox Labs, is pioneering in this field, specialising in vascularised organ-on-chip models.

Cellbox Labs brings together expertise from some of Latvia’s leading research institutes, combined with product development know-how acquired in Silicon Valley and the United Kingdom. This is proving to be a winning formula: so far, Cellbox Labs has developed a gut-on-chip with microbiome and cancer models, and its platform can also replicate liver, kidney, lung, pancreas and other organ models. These feature vertically stacked endothelial and epithelial channels and a permeable membrane.

Eureka has provided a valuable opportunity for us to collaborate with international partners on the development of innovative products, such as a gut-brain axis model and prebiotics. We also appreciate the straightforward application process and minimal administrative burden.

Gatis Mozolevskis – co-founder and Chief Executive Officer

In addition, the company is marketing a platform capable of monitoring and analysing up to 24 organon- chip models at a time. By combining hardware and software, Cellbox Labs offers a flexible system for precise drug discovery.

Exhibiting the platform has sometimes been a challenge. Gatis Mozolevskis, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, recalls: “Once, our demo machine was stuck in customs for a month; we had to build a new one for the next event. Another time, the system exceeded the airline’s check-in weight limit by one kilogram, so we had to disassemble it at the airport, removing a few parts to make it fit.”

Despite these minor hurdles, Cellbox Labs has already been recognised for its business acumen and contribution to medical research. In 2023, the Latvian company received the Latvian Startup Award and was featured in Forbes Latvia. It was also selected to receive support from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology Health’s InnoStars Awards programme.

To advance further, Cellbox Labs is embarking on two Eureka projects with British, Estonian, Latvian, Swedish and Swiss organisations. In the first, the consortium is developing a vascularised gut-brain axis organ-on-chip model and upgrading its platform for automatic culturing. In parallel, Cellbox Labs is contributing to a second Eureka project focused on creating a dietary supplement for gut microbiota, validated using its organ-on-chip technology.

Mozolevskis already sees the benefits of international collaboration. Cellbox Labs has had opportunities to work with leading experts in engineering and biology. He explains, “By combining our expertise with the knowledge of our partners, we are able to develop innovative technologies that would be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve alone.” Eureka and the Latvian Council of Science provided Cellbox Labs with a simple and effective way to collaborate on product development.

Looking ahead, Cellbox Labs plans to launch a new product to diversify its revenue streams and finalise a patent for its organ-on-chip device. This will lead to greater visibility within the research community and among potential clients. Now, the Latvian company is seeking new collaborators who share its commitment to advancing health research.