Summary
Drug combinations can lead to the discovery of novel drugs by increasing efficacy or lowering toxicity through synergy. This can boost existing drugs, rescue drug candidates, and accelerate drug discovery for yet poorly addressed diseases. However, predicting synergy is difficult, and finding synergies requires high-throughput screening (HTS) in advanced cell models. Current solutions propose either HTS in 2D cell cultures or low throughput assays in 3D cell cultures, but not both.
On the basis of a technology developed in the ERC-funded AbioEvo project, we devised an innovative microfluidic platform for 3D culture and HTS of drug combinations. Miniaturization densifies routine 3D assays, resulting in a throughput increase of 10 to 100 times. Fluidic automation reduces liquid handling 500 times for a 100x100 drug library at a 10-point dose-response combinatorial screening. Furthermore, 3D culture models better predict later physiological responses, thus increasing the success probability of downstream drug development stages. We have shown dose-response measurements of 144 antibiotic combinations on bacteria on a single chip.
In this POC, we aim to demonstrate the applicability of our technology to human cells and benchmark it based on existing screens for breast cancer cells. We will adapt the cell culture conditions and data analysis, perform market analysis, and examine industrialization feasibility. This will put us in a position to create a spin-off to reach the preclinical drug screening market and identify the most promising therapeutic areas. Indeed, the technology has the potential to screen for synergistic drug combinations at an earlier stage of the drug discovery process (thanks to miniaturization and automation) while providing a more reliable cellular response for later stages (thanks to 3D culture).
On the basis of a technology developed in the ERC-funded AbioEvo project, we devised an innovative microfluidic platform for 3D culture and HTS of drug combinations. Miniaturization densifies routine 3D assays, resulting in a throughput increase of 10 to 100 times. Fluidic automation reduces liquid handling 500 times for a 100x100 drug library at a 10-point dose-response combinatorial screening. Furthermore, 3D culture models better predict later physiological responses, thus increasing the success probability of downstream drug development stages. We have shown dose-response measurements of 144 antibiotic combinations on bacteria on a single chip.
In this POC, we aim to demonstrate the applicability of our technology to human cells and benchmark it based on existing screens for breast cancer cells. We will adapt the cell culture conditions and data analysis, perform market analysis, and examine industrialization feasibility. This will put us in a position to create a spin-off to reach the preclinical drug screening market and identify the most promising therapeutic areas. Indeed, the technology has the potential to screen for synergistic drug combinations at an earlier stage of the drug discovery process (thanks to miniaturization and automation) while providing a more reliable cellular response for later stages (thanks to 3D culture).
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| Web resources: | https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101100823 |
| Start date: | 01-01-2023 |
| End date: | 30-06-2024 |
| Total budget - Public funding: | - 150 000,00 Euro |
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Original description
Drug combinations can lead to the discovery of novel drugs by increasing efficacy or lowering toxicity through synergy. This can boost existing drugs, rescue drug candidates, and accelerate drug discovery for yet poorly addressed diseases. However, predicting synergy is difficult, and finding synergies requires high-throughput screening (HTS) in advanced cell models. Current solutions propose either HTS in 2D cell cultures or low throughput assays in 3D cell cultures, but not both.On the basis of a technology developed in the ERC-funded AbioEvo project, we devised an innovative microfluidic platform for 3D culture and HTS of drug combinations. Miniaturization densifies routine 3D assays, resulting in a throughput increase of 10 to 100 times. Fluidic automation reduces liquid handling 500 times for a 100x100 drug library at a 10-point dose-response combinatorial screening. Furthermore, 3D culture models better predict later physiological responses, thus increasing the success probability of downstream drug development stages. We have shown dose-response measurements of 144 antibiotic combinations on bacteria on a single chip.
In this POC, we aim to demonstrate the applicability of our technology to human cells and benchmark it based on existing screens for breast cancer cells. We will adapt the cell culture conditions and data analysis, perform market analysis, and examine industrialization feasibility. This will put us in a position to create a spin-off to reach the preclinical drug screening market and identify the most promising therapeutic areas. Indeed, the technology has the potential to screen for synergistic drug combinations at an earlier stage of the drug discovery process (thanks to miniaturization and automation) while providing a more reliable cellular response for later stages (thanks to 3D culture).
Status
SIGNEDCall topic
ERC-2022-POC2Update Date
09-02-2023
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