Pharmaceuticals

The blood-brain barrier’s role in health and disease

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), as the name states, is a highly selective and protective interface between the bloodstream and the brain. It consists of endothelial cells that line the brain’s capillaries, forming tight junctions that restrict the passage of substances from the blood into the brain. This barrier serves several key functions [1]:

Importance of in vitro testing for the 3R’s

Animal testing has long been a fundamental aspect in biomedical research, toxicology studies, and drug development. However, ethical concerns and scientific limitations have driven the development of alternative methods that align with the principles of the 3R’s: replacement, reduction, and refinement. In vitro testing has emerged as one of the most promising approaches to achieving…

Innovative Microphysiological Model Using HepatoXcell™ Primary Human Hepatocytes and Locsense Artemis

The development of a highly representative in vitro gut-liver model is essential for improving drug testing accuracy while minimizing the reliance on animal studies. Traditional animal models often fail to fully replicate human physiology, leading to discrepancies in drug metabolism and toxicity predictions.1 A physiologically relevant gut-liver system would provide a more accurate platform to…

HMOS 2’FL and 3FL prevent house dust mite induced proinflammatory cytokine release in vitro and decrease specific IgE production in a murine allergic asthma model

Allergic asthma is characterized by sensitization to airborneallergens like house dust mite (HDM). Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOS) are linked to improved immune maturation and potentially alleviate allergy development. Here, we describe an in vitro human airway mucosal HDM sensitization model as relevant tool to reduce use of animals in studies aiming to prevent HDM allergic…

Beyond the barriers: impedance-based quality control of in vitro lung models

Chronic pulmonary diseases are a high burden on the healthcare system and on the quality of life (QoL)of its patients. As the third leading cause of death, chronic respiratory diseases have a tremendousmortality rate [1]. Moreover, with a prevalence of 300 million people worldwide, pulmonary diseases arenot only mortal but also highly prevalent [2]. The…

Guardians of the gateway: exploring the blood-brain barrier with Impedance spectroscopy

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a highly specialized and complex physiological structure that plays acrucial role in maintaining the homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS) [1]. Grossly the BBBconsists of three selec􀆟ve layers. (1) The endothelial cells, which impede substances to infiltratethe brain by 􀆟ght junc􀆟ons. (2) The basement membrane containing pericytes provides structuralsupport…

Electrical impedance spectroscopy: to evaluate and monitororganotypic development and skin barrier function in vitro

For research into skin biology, diseases, and drug or chemical interactions, organotypic 3D human epidermal equivalents (HEEs) are frequently used. Studies heavily rely on end-points analysis for which HEEs are harvested to study cellular responses. Non-intrusive methods that enable longitudinal analysis by repetitive measurements can minimize batch effects, increase study reproducibility and maximize experimental throughput.…

Retina-on-chip: modeling and treating eye diseases in a dish

The human re􀆟na is a highly organized structure consis􀆟ng of neural re􀆟na, re􀆟nal pigment epithelial (RPE)cell layer, and vasculature, called the choroid (Figure 1). Current human cell models o􀅌en lack three-dimensional (3D) complexity of the human re􀆟na. Re􀆟nal diseases lead to photoreceptor cell death, causing progressive blindness (1). We are inves􀆟ga􀆟ng two par􀆟cular re􀆟nal diseases:…

Retina-on-chip: Designing a PDMS-based microfluidic chip with 2 μm-thick membranes for culture of iPSC-derived retinal pigment epithelium

Electrical impedance spectroscopy analysis to evaluateorganotypic epidermis formation and barrier function in vitro

For research into skin biology, diseases and drug or chemical interactions, organotypic 3D human epidermal equivalents (HEEs) are frequently used. Studies heavily rely on endpoints analysis for which HEEs are harvested to study cellular responses. Non-intrusive methods that enable longitudinal analysis by repetitive measurements can minimize batch effects, increase study reproducibility and maximize experimental throughput.…