[May 23, 2017] |
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New Data from Emulate's Asthma-on-Chip Presented at American Thoracic Society Annual Meeting
Emulate
Inc. presented data today that shows expanded functionality in
modeling viral infection on the Small Airway Lung-Chip. This advancement
opens new opportunities for studying viral-induced exacerbations of
asthma using a human-relevant system. The data demonstrates the
capability to model human airway tissue on the Small Airway Lung-Chip
and to reproduce infection with a virus in vitro - recreating
viral-induced exacerbation commonly experienced by asthma patients. The
studies in the Small Airway Lung-Chip were carried out as part of a
collaborative project between Emulate and Merck, known as MSD outside
the United States and Canada.
The results of this collaborative research enable advanced
human-relevant model systems that can lead to a better understanding of
how viral infection worsens asthma symptoms, providing insights for
developing new anti-inflammatory treatments, specifically for asthma.
The research was presented at the American Thoracic Society annual
meeting in Washington, DC, and showed:
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Recreation of airway tissue interfaces of the lung's small airway,
with differentiated mucociliary bronchiolar airway epithelium
underlined by a microvascular endothelium which experiences fluid flow;
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Induction of a pro-inflammatory response characterized by cell
death, goblet cells hyperplasia, and release of cytokines, when the
Small Airway Lung-Chip was infected with human Rhinovirus (HRV), a
leading cause of asthma exacerbation in children and adults;
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Effective modeling of molecular responses observed in severe asthma
by showing altered interferon response and recruitment of circulating
human neutrophils (immune cells);
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Pharmacological modulation of neutrophil recruitment by
demonstrating that neutrophils, which drive innate inflammatory cell
infiltration to the lungs in viral-induced asthma exacerbations, can
be modulated by a selective CXCR2 antagonist drug agent.
"It has been a remarkable process for us to work with a leading
pharmaceutical collaborator such as Merck, and our joint research has
resulted in further advancing the capabilities of the Small Airway
Lung-Chip," said Geraldine A. Hamilton, Ph.D., President and Chief
Scientific Officer of Emulate. "Our Lung-Chip has now achieved new
levels of functionality to more accurately recreate human biology for
airway inflammation and respiratory disease applications. We are excited
to continue to apply the Small Airway Lung-Chip to potentially
accelerate the discovery and development of better and safer drugs for
patients with challenging inflammatory diseases of the lung, such as
COPD, asthma, and respiratory infections."
Emulate and Merckhave a multi-year
research collaboration to deploy Emulate's Organs-on-Chips
technology for drug discovery and development applications, including
development of more human-relevant systems to model inflammatory
diseases and to better predict the potential human response of
therapeutic candidates. The research collaboration focuses on using
Emulate's Small Airway Lung-Chip and Intestine-Chip for modeling
inflammatory processes in the human lung and the gastrointestinal
system. Current animal models for these applications can be limited in
their relevance to humans in that their physiology can be distinctively
different from the human, and the mechanisms driving key disease process
can show marked species differences.
About The Lung-Chip Emulate has developed Lung-Chip systems
that recreate true-to-life functions of the human lung. Due to the
distinct structure and biology of different parts of the lung and their
differentiated role in disease processes, Emulate has developed a range
of Lung-Chips that enable human-relevant research related to lung
diseases and various aspects of lung biology. The Alveolar Lung-Chip
emulates the fundamental lung functions such as oxygen-exchange and
absorption in the breathing human lung and has been used in a range of
applications, including evaluation of nanoparticle absorption and
toxicity, study of disease development and assessment of adverse drug
effects, such as pulmonary edema and pulmonary thrombosis. The Small
Airway Lung-Chip models a different aspect of lung biology, distinct
from the alveolar air sacs. It recapitulates the physiology and function
of the airway epithelium that conduct inhaled air to the alveolar air
sacs, and Emulate has demonstrated that the Small Airway Lung-Chip
models inflammation and therapeutic responses in human small airway
diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD).
About the "Human Emulation System" Powered by Organs-On-Chips
Technology Based on the Organs-on-Chips technology, Emulate has
created a new living Human
Emulation System™ that provides a real-time window into the inner
workings of human biology and disease - offering researchers a new
technology designed to predict human response with greater precision and
detail than today's cell culture or animal-based experimental testing.
Each of Emulate's proprietary Organ-Chips
- such as the lung, liver, brain, intestine or kidney - contains tiny
hollow channels lined with tens of thousands of living human cells and
tissues, and is approximately the size of an AA battery. An Organ-Chip
is a living, micro-engineered environment that recreates the natural
physiology and mechanical forces that cells experience within the human
body.
About Emulate, Inc. Emulate
Inc. is a privately held company that creates living products for
understanding how diseases, medicines, chemicals, and foods affect human
health. Our Human
Emulation System™ sets a new standard for recreating true-to-life
human biology and is being used to advance product innovation,
design, and safety across a range of applications including drug
development, agriculture, cosmetics, food, and chemical-based consumer
products. Emulate continues to develop a wide range of Organ-Chips and
disease models through collaborations with industry partners and
internal R&D programs. Emulate is also working with clinical partners to
produce Organ-Chips personalized with an individual patient's stem
cells, for applications in precision medicine and personalized health.
Our founding team pioneered the Organs-on-Chips technology at the Wyss
Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University.
Emulate holds the worldwide exclusive license from Harvard University to
a robust and broad intellectual property portfolio for the
Organs-on-Chips technology and related systems.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170523005383/en/
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