Cyprotex to offer testing service using InSphero technology

InSphero has developed a technology for producing 3D tissue. Until now the company has sold three-dimensional microtissues for oncology and toxicology as well as the devices to produce such tissues. The cooperation with Cyprotex enables InSphero to enter into third business area – screening services.
 
The new liver toxicology screening service will use InSphero's 3D InSightTM liver model and will be performed at Cyprotex's laboratories, where customers will have the benefit of Cyprotex's extensive expertise in ADME and toxicology.
 
Dr Jan Lichtenberg, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of InSphero, commented: "We are very proud that Cyprotex has recognized the value of InSphero's highly functional 3D liver microtissues and will now be helping industry to exploit the advantages of the model. Our joint offering combines leading 3D cell-culture expertise with the proven ADME-Tox experience of a world-leading specialist. This assures high-quality data and reliable processes for our fee-for-service customers and makes advanced, predictive toxicology testing easily available to drug developers worldwide."
 
The current industry approach is to use cells in a single layer culture (known as a 2D monolayer). InSphero has invented a unique high-throughput approach to generating 3D microtissues from single cells. Compared to 2D cultures, 3D microtissues more closely mimic native tissues and organs and form natural cell-to-cell attachments. In addition InSphero's liver model has the advantage that the cells are viable for a longer time period and so multiple dose studies can be performed over an extended time course.