Fibrofind has developed a technology that allows prolonged use of functional precision-cut slices (PCS) of various human organ tissues applying our technology to human liver, kidney and IPF lung PCS.
Our PCS patented technology is extremely successful. FibroFind have established 3D human tissue models of disease in multiple organ systems that maintain the architectural integrity, functionality and metabolic activities of the tissue over an extended period (7 days or longer). All major epithelial, endothelial and resident immune cell types are maintained and the tissue responds dynamically to physiologically relevant inducers of disease. This platform is able to validate drug targets and determine the anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory activities of candidate therapeutics through a variety of readouts.
We have optimised induction of fibrogenesis/fibrosis and inflammation in normal PCS using a disease relevant set of stimuli, which can be blocked with a number of benchmarking therapeutics, thus providing a positive control for any treatment that you may want us to test.
Our technology platform is detailed in our publication in Hepatology journal that describes the PCLS (Liver) technology and associated outputs
https://aasldpubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/hep.30651
In addition to the published model, we are able to lipid load the PCLS. Again, therapeutics can be tested in this context for their ability to reduce steatosis, inflammation or fibrosis.
Our platform has been used for a number of published studies, which can be accessed using links below.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32327527/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31879343/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32938936/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33168981/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31378982/
All of our models are fully validated, however what model we choose to use for any given study to address the activity of a particular therapeutic of interest is done in a bespoke manner, based on extensive conversations with the client and a clear understanding of what the given drug/reagent is meant to do in the diseased organ of interest. We are then able to advise the best way to model the disease of interest in PCS and how to most appropriately design the study and its outputs to address the pathway that your drug/reagent affects.
Once the PCS study has been performed and the analyses have been carried out (which can involve immunohistochemistry, digital image analysis, qPCR, MSD measurements of numerous soluble markers, RNAseq and associated bioinformatic analyses, ELISAs and many other types of laboratory outputs) we supply the client with a full report and send all of the longitudinally collected PCS supernatants, paraffin blocks, stained slides, any leftover unstained slides and all frozen samples (RNA/DNA) from the study. Importantly, you hold all of the IP rights to the project while our advice and intellectual input come as part of the service-for-fee.
FibroFind offer this platform as a drug testing service to pharma and biotech companies.
