Animal models have been used for years to provide proof of concept for new therapies, however there are major flaws which need to be addressed. Studies using mouse models cannot accurately predict patient response to a new compound. Translatability requires a suitable model which will reduce attrition rates in phase II and II clinical trials which are proving to be of detriment to R&D productivity[1].
In light of World Digestive Disease Day, which is celebrated every year on the 29th of May[1], we will explore the different facets of Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and highlight recent advances on the diagnostics, treatments, and the frontiers of research that will one day hopefully provide a cure.
It is well recognised that one size does not fit all when it comes to the treatment of many diseases. Getting the right drug to the right patient at the right dose has become the focus of precision medicine, which provides hope that patients may receive the most appropriate treatment sooner, improving their quality of life and reducing the support required from health care systems and wider society[1]. Health economists are recognising the potential of precision medicine and are beginning to apply the concept to their research[2].
From obesity and Crohn’s disease to cancer, investigations into the microbiota and microbiome are opening up numerous avenues of research. The human microbiota, composed of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, eukaryotic microbes and many different species which occupy the human body[1], and the study of the associated microbial genomes, are generating increasing numbers of publications.
This issue, we are casting the REPROCELL Tissue Spotlight on the LUNG.
The lungs are the central organs of the human respiratory system enabling you to take around 25,000 breaths a day — mostly, without any conscious thought that you are doing so!
In this post, we highlight recent advancements in stem cells as treatment and study of autism to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day (2 April 2019).
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability that impairs the ability to communicate and relate to others. Affecting 1% of the world population, it is the most commonly diagnosed childhood developmental disorder. In 2018, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that rates of autism had increased to an estimated 1 in 59 children, up from 1 in 88 just six years ago.
The return on R&D investments in the UK is at its lowest rate in nine years, despite Britain’s global presence in science, technology and health. Pharmaceutical attrition rates continue to rise, and the UK biotech landscape remains fragmented. Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) aims to connect the UK R&D community more effectively by putting the patient at the heart of the drug discovery process. As part of our collaboration with the MDC, REPROCELL have pledged to provide custom drug discovery assays using live human tissues.
Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) derived neural models to study brain disease provide an unlimited resource for disease modelling as well as being a tool for drug screening for effective therapies. The limited access to viable patient neurons from brain tissue itself generates the need for functional and reproducible human neuron cell models. Such cells are now increasingly used for drug development studies as well as supporting research into mechanisms and pathways of various neurological diseases.
Barrier assays are an important tool for in vitro drug development and drug safety testing, e.g. assessing the absorption of a drug candidate through the intestinal wall or the corrosion of chemical compounds on skin.
In translational medicine, research using primary patient samples is advantageous over cell lines as the expression of the protein under investigation is regulated by native elements in primary samples.
