Cyprotex : Launch of Advanced 3D Liver Model

Cyprotex PLC
('Cyprotex' or the 'Company')
Launch of Advanced 3D Liver Model

Cyprotex PLC (AIM:CRX; www.cyprotex.com), a specialist ADME-Tox and Bioscience Contract Research Organisation (CRO), today announces the launch of an advanced 3D liver model for detecting hepatotoxic potential.

Hepatotoxicity is a major cause of drug attrition and preclinical animal studies often fail to detect this type of drug-induced toxicity. As a result, in some cases, hepatotoxic liability is only detected at a late stage when the drug has reached the clinic. In vitro-based human cellular models are showing promise as alternatives to animal based testing and are able to provide a mechanistic understanding of hepatotoxicity. These cellular models may be performed in either 2D (e.g., cell suspensions or monolayers attached to the bottom of plates) or 3D (e.g., scaffold/support-based or scaffold-free microtissues/spheroids) format. 3D models have advantages over 2D cellular models in the fact that they have improved cell to cell contact and communication, and are amenable to longer term cultures enabling extended repeat dose studies to be replicated. Furthermore, functional drug metabolising activity is observed within the 3D microtissues over extended time periods which may be important for drugs exerting their adverse effects through the formation of a toxic metabolite in the liver.

Cyprotex has specialist expertise in 3D cellular research and has developed various organ specific models (such as liver, heart, brain and kidney models) and co-culture models (where more than one cell type is incorporated in the model). Through Cyprotex's investment in confocal high content analysis equipment for imaging, a detailed analysis of the 3D cellular structures can be performed. Cyprotex's new 3D hepatotoxicity model analyses multiple high content endpoints enabling an accurate prediction of the likelihood of liver toxicity in humans, and allowing the mechanism behind the hepatotoxicity to be explored in detail.

Dr Anthony Baxter, Cyprotex's Chief Executive Officer, comments on the introduction of the new 3D technology: 'Developing 3D cell-based models has been a key focus of our research during the past 12 months. Not only are these models proving valuable for toxicology testing but they are also showing promise in efficacy and ADME testing, and are being used within a number of different industries. For example, in vitro reconstructed 3D skin models are now the standard technique within the cosmetics market for testing skin and ocular irritation and corrosion. Although 2D models are currently the preferred choice for testing new pharmaceuticals, this is expected to change as the potential of 3D technology is realised.'