8:00 am Registration & Morning Coffee Networking
Synopsis
- Live Demo in Virtual Exhibition Area
- 1-1 Meetings
9:00 am Opening Remarks
9:10 am Characterization & Use of Microphysiological Systems (MPS) in Pharmaceutical Safety & ADME Applications
Synopsis
- Introducing an organotypic manuscript series from IQ MPS Affiliate for several key drug safety and disposition target tissues (lung, liver, kidney, skin, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and blood brain barrier/central nervous system)
- Defining contexts of use, key characterization data, and platform components needed for incorporation of MPS in pharmaceutical safety screening including a list of characteristic functions, cell types, toxicities, and test agents (representing major mechanisms of toxicity) that can be used by MPS developers
9:30 am An NCATS Perspective: Progress & Future Applications of Organ-on- Chip Systems
Synopsis
- Update on the NIH Tissue Chip Program, including aims of the new “Clinical-Trials” on a Chip initiative
- Outlining the development of potentially transformative tissue-chip technology in drug development and disease modeling
- Exploring the current roadblocks in the field and the future of MPS including plans to increase the adoption of tissue chip systems to further therapeutic options for patients
9:50 am Physiologically Relevant 3D hiPSC-Based Platforms Empowering Drug Discovery
Synopsis
- Three-dimensional human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-based platforms enable greater physiological relevance, elevating performance in toxicity and discovery studies
- StemoniX’s advanced hiPSC-derived platforms comprise neural (microBrain) and cardiac (microHeart) cells assembled to mirror native tissue composition, promoting robust activity and expected responses to known cellular modulators
- Case studies are provided for those platforms, highlighting their potential to advance drug discovery
10:20 am Live Q&A – Ask the Speakers Your Burning Questions
10:40 am Virtual Speed Networking
Synopsis
Recreating the face-to-face networking in the virtual world. We will pair you up with fellow attendees to break the ice and make new business relationships!
11:00 am PANEL DISCUSSION: The Future of 3D Tissue Model Adoption
Synopsis
- Progress to showcase the application of 3D systems within drug discovery and development across key sectors
- How is context of use being defined across the model continuum and what are current advantages and limitations between each system type?
- Addressing the need to balance the compromise between industry throughput requirements and physiological relevancy
- Future strategies to increase pharmaceutical application of 3D tissue models to improve validation– what evidence is required?
11:45 am Microfabricated Organ-on-Chip Models: High-Throughput Flow, Culture, & Data Collection
Synopsis
- A high-throughput, complex in vitro model with active flow control
- Data derived from integrated TEER, high-content screening, and other techniques
- Applications in oncology, kidney, liver, vascular, gastrointestinal, stem cells
- Live Q&A with Joseph Charest
12:15 pm Networking Lunch
- Live Demo in Virtual Exhibition Hall
- 1-1 Meetings
Dedicated Roundtable Discussion Chat Room
Cell Sourcing & Reproducibility
- Addressing the challenges and key factors to maintain standardized protocol in across cell media
- Incorporating standards across cell banks and secondary cell providers to improve reproducibility outcomes for drug screening
12:45 pm Progress in Applying Microphysiological Systems for Drug Safety Assessment
Synopsis
- Outline the context of use of microphysiological systems (MPS) to generate safety and efficacy data for drug development with improved clinical relevance over more traditional 2D cell culture and animal models
- Highlight examples of data generated from these systems that demonstrate the utility of MPS for safety assessment with a focus on a bone marrow MPs for oncology drug combination assessment
- Current challenges to the adoption and/or development of MPS in the pharmaceutical industry
1:05 pm TissueSpec® Bone, Liver, & Lung ECM Substrates as a Metastasis Research Platform to Predict Drug Efficacy
Synopsis
- Review critical roles played by tissue-specific extracellular matrix (ECM) in metastatic invasion and colonization
- Highlight Xylyx newly developed metastasis research platform, comprised of TissueSpec® Bone, Liver, and Lung ECM substrates, that recapitulates common tissue-specific metastatic niches
- Demonstrate how Xylyx metastasis research platform can accelerate drug development by emulating tissue-specific environments of common metastatic sites, yielding more accurate and actionable results
1:25 pm Developing Translationally Relevant 3D Models for Pre-Clinical Drug Development
Synopsis
- Understanding how 3D systems can be used to better characterize molecules, decrease R&D cycle time and reduce attrition
- Insight from the latest progress in qualifying disease relevant models using spheroids, organoids and microphysiological systems
- Outlining the industry challenges to accurately model the native tumor microenvironment
1:45 pm Fat-on-Chip for Drug Discovery & Preclinical Studies
Synopsis
- Insight into the context of our unique 3D cell culture capabilities, our faton-a-chip products and services, and our portfolio of patent-pending and licensed technologies in this area
- Highlight studies that we have conducted and where areas of collaboration and partnership may exist for attendees interested in advancing the field and/or conducting drug discovery and preclinical studies
2:05 pm 3D Bioprinted Vascularized Glioblastoma Model
Synopsis
- Deconstructing the underlying mechanisms of GBM-vascular interaction may add a new therapeutic direction to curtail GBM progression. However, the lack of proper 3D models that recapitulate GBM hallmarks restricts investigating cell-cell/cell-molecular interactions in tumor microenvironment
- We created GBM-vascular niche models through 3D bioprinting containing patient-derived glioma stem cells (GSCs), human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMVECs) cells, pericytes, astrocytes and various hydrogels to model glioma/endothelial cell-cell interactions in 3D
- The model platform is capable of modifying multiples variables including ECMs, cell types, vascular structures, and dynamic culture condition. Thus, it can be adapted to other biological systems and serve as a valuable tool for generating customized tumor microenvironments
2:25 pm Live Q&A – Ask the Speakers Your Burning Questions
2:55 pm Afternoon Networking
- Live Demo in Virtual Exhibition Hall
- 1-1 Meetings
Dedicated Roundtable Discussion Chat Room
Imaging as a Supportive Tool in Drug Screening with 3D Models
- Discuss the progress and limitations of utilizing high content screening with imaging in 3D organoids
- Uncovering the unique challenges of imaging different tissue types across kidney, liver and CNS diseases
3:25 pm Assessment of Donor-to-Donor Variability in Human Gut Organoids
Synopsis
- We established intestinal organoid cultures from adult stem cells of healthy donors and characterized inter- and intra-culture variability
- We found that differentiation patterns were consistent among cultures and passages, producing all expected intestinal cell types and developing physiological gut function
3:45 pm Liver MPS Systems for Safety Assessment
Synopsis
- Explore data comparing liver chip to 3D tissue organoids and conventional culture models for commercial and proprietary applications
- Outline a case study illustrating the promise of these complex systems while addressing the challenges of adoption and qualification of these models within Pharma
4:05 pm 3D Cell Models for Comprehensive Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics Assessment
Synopsis
- Current state of art in 3D models for DMPK applications will be reviewed
- Specific examples of drug metabolism application in liver and intestine will be highlighted
- Future applications in biologics disposition, transporter research, and renal disposition will be discussed
4:25 pm Engineered 3D Heart Tissues as Models of Disease & Discovery
Synopsis
- iPSC cardiomyocytes can provide in vitro models of healthy and diseased cardiac function
- Restorative effects of compounds with respect to contractility, calcium handling, and various other phenotypes can be assayed on these systems
- Advancing the maturation of iPSCcardiomyocytes can better stratify disease phenotypes and enable enhanced prediction of compound toxicity
4:45 pm Stem Cell Derived Organoids on PDMS-Free Modular Chips
Synopsis
- Large volume microfluidic platforms have been developed that allow modular culture of cellular components, and reversible assembly of those components into an integrated culture and interrogation platform
- Currently focused on replicating the interactions between primary and stem cells derived islet cells and isogenic immune cells for type 1 diabetes research
- Another effort on deriving patient specific cancer spheroid cultures of circulating tumor cells from breast cancer patients
- For scalable translation of these technologies, we have spun out two startup companies from the lab, Bio-Vitro Inc. (fluidic platforms to enable PDMSfree organ on chip applications), and Circulogix Inc. (rapid isolation and enumeration of circulating tumor cells in an antigen-agnostic manner)