Emulate, Inc., a known provider of next-generation Organ-on-a-Chip technology, in collaboration with FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics Inc., a leading global manufacturer and creator of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), has introduced the Emulate Brain-Chip R1. The first-ever and best-in-class isogenic model of the neurovascular unit provides a comprehensive new platform for learning and understanding drug transport throughout the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and finding mechanisms of neuroinflammation for researchers.
The Brain-Chip R1 unifies major FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics iCell® products correlated with Emulate's exclusive induced Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells (BMECs).
The Chief Scientific Officer at Emulate, Dr Lorna Ewart, said, “The Brain-Chip R1 offers researchers a creative platform to model the challenges of the neurovascular unit. By combining robust iPSC-derived cells from FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics with the suitable and spectacular microenvironment of our Organ-Chips, researchers can then examine the inflammatory mechanisms and drug transport with undisruptive human relevance.”
The Brain-Chip R1 comes with a human-relevant approach with the amalgamation of five isogenic human iPSC-derived cell types, such as microglia, pericytes, exclusive brain microvascular endothelial cells, astrocytes and neurons. These five powers transform into a fluidic, dynamic microenvironment that reflects the major criteria of the neurovascular unit. This model builds a close, tight, balanced barrier with physiologically similar transporter expression and balances resting-state glia. This allows researchers to discover disease mechanisms, study neuroinflammatory responses and examine drug transport with peak human relevance.
The central nervous system (CNS) disease is an extreme condition affecting the brain directly, like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's, that has affected millions of individuals globally. Around 99% of potential CNS therapies have not met excellence yet, as traditional static 2D cell cultures and animal models are not capable of recreating the seriousness of the human BBB, leading to dull clinical translation. To this, the newly launched Brain-Chip R1 are a new hope for CNS treatment.
The exclusive culture media and ready-to-use isogenic cells discard the need for time-consuming iPSC differentiation, mitigate variability and streamline workflows. Following this, the researchers can create more comprehensive, improved and reproducible data faster, confident investment in the clinical specification of CNS drug candidates.
The President and Chief Executive Officer at FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, Inc., Tomoyuki Hasegawa, said, “Our iCell® human iPSC-derived products offer spectacular consistency and the growth required to form microphysiological systems for discovery research.”
Mansi Kadam is a market research writer with over 3 years of experience analyzing trends in the healthcare industry. At Towards Healthcare, she covers innovations in medical sector, sustainability initiatives, and the evolving regulatory landscape.
