Applications

Advanced Neural Cell Culture

Discovery, Regenerative Medicine, Toxicity

Advanced cell culture techniques including 3D spheroids, micropatterned co-culture, bioengineered and flow-based systems, and bioprinting offer the potential to better mimic in vivo tissue structure and function. CDI’s neurons are amenable to these culture techniques as pure cell populations or in co-culture with other cell types, such as CDI’s astrocytes.

High-throughput Screening

Discovery

Drug failure in the clinic is most often attributed to either unforeseen toxicity or a lack of demonstrated efficacy. Thus, predictive in vitro models that more accurately reflect in vivo disease states can inform the preclinical processes of drug discovery and development ensuring higher success rate in the eventual clinical setting. CDI’s iCell and MyCell products offer a wide range of innate, engineered, and induced disease models for screening, hit-to-lead, and lead optimization efforts. The cells are amenable to gene modulation and culture in high-density multiwell plates. iCell and MyCell products have been used in high-throughput screens across various disease areas including infectious disease, neurological disorders, diabetes, and cardiomyopathies.

Monitoring Neurotoxicity

Discovery, Toxicity

Measurements of cell health are a fundamental component of any disease research and drug development effort. Cell health endpoints represent various biological processes including cell morphology, viability, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and mitochondrial integrity. In drug development, researchers interrogate these endpoints as part of discovery screening efforts and toxicity studies. CDI’s neurons, dopaneurons, and astrocytes have been utilized to measure various neural cell health endpoints using platforms including:

• Plate-based fluorescent and luminescent assays
• Metabolic analysis (Seahorse Biosciences XF96)
• High content analysis (Molecular Devices ImageXpress)

Measuring Neuronal Electrophysiology

Discovery, Regenerative Medicine, Toxicity

The communication between neurons and between neurons and other cell types is accomplished through electrical signals. CDI’s neurons exhibit biologically relevant electrical functions typical of primary human cortical neurons including evoked and spontaneous action potentials, inhibitory and excitatory post-synaptic currents, and ion channel pharmacology. These responses can be measured using platforms including:

• Manual patch clamp
• Automated patch clamp
• Multielectrode array (MEA) (Axion Maestro, Multi Channel Systems MEA60-Inv-BC-System-E)