Setup of a new 3D culture method for drug screening and development using brain organoids from mouse and human-derived cells.

GliaPharm and HEPIA received a collaborative research grant from HES-SO that will start in January 2021. This project aims at developing 3D brain organoid cultures derived from transgenic mice and eventually human patients with a rare genetic disorder. This collaborative project will benefit from HEPIA’s 3D brain organoid expertise to create an in vitro model to test GliaPharm’s active substances on brain metabolism that have therapeutic interest in neurological pathologies with reduced metabolism. 

GliaPharm is developing innvative molecules to boost brain metabolism, specifically to target a rare genetic neurological disease that shows strong cerebral hypometabolism. In this context, GliaPharm is using several rodent and mouse cell culture models, as well as transgenic mice, while it is also looking to develop and expand its platform of drug screening and development towards clinically relevant models such as 3D brain organoids. The field of 3D cells culture is increasing but requires specific expertise and tools. 3D culture model is even more complex with the presence of several cell types, such as brain cells, an expertise that is not easily accessible to all scientific community. From the knowledge of Tissue Engineering Laboratory developed at HEPIA, led by Dr. Roux and Dr. Stoppini, HEPIA and GliaPharm will develop a novel in vitro 3D neural tissue from primary cells extracted from a rare disease transgenic mouse model, and eventually human patients. This collaboration will create new tools to test and develop innovative new drugs by GliaPharm in clinically relevant brain organoid model.