{
  "id": 631454,
  "title": "‘A mouse can’t tell us what works’: UK scientists to grow miniature human organs for drug testing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/a-mouse-cant-tell-us-what-works-uk-scientists-to-grow-miniature-human-631454",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-12T04:00:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Health",
    "slug": "guardian-health",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/12/organoids-human-organs-cambridge-shift-drug-testing-medicines-animals"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tiny human organs grown from patients' cells are set to transform drug testing, offering more precise results and reducing reliance on animal models, according to a £20 million Cambridge project. These miniature organoids, derived from NHS donors, will enable scientists to study disease variations and tailor treatments to individual patients based on their specific conditions. The shift away from animal models is a strategic move by the UK government, aiming to decrease the number of animals used in research, currently at 2.54 million procedures in 2024. Researchers will create a library of standardized organoids, accessible to academics and pharmaceutical companies, to accelerate the development of effective drugs. While some animal testing will continue, the new models promise a substantial reduction in its use, particularly in safety tests where VivoSphere, a company leading the charge, employs gel spheres to detect toxicity before drugs reach animals. The innovative approach could pave the way for personalized medicine, offering a promising future for drug development and patient care.",
  "summary": "Organoids and tissues grown from human cells promise more accurate results, with £20m Cambridge project to create standardised models Miniature human organs and other tissues are to be grown from NHS patients’ cells in a drive to improve medicine testing and reduce the number of animals used in drug development. Scientists will use the clumps of tissue to learn how diseases vary between patients,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Guardian Science",
        "title": "‘A mouse can’t tell us what works’: UK scientists to grow miniature human organs for drug testing",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/a-mouse-cant-tell-us-what-works-uk-scientists-to-grow-miniature-human",
        "published": "2026-08-12T04:00:19.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}