VirionBrainTM
GENE THERAPY TESTING
VIRUS INVASION MODEL
HUMAN BRAIN-VIRUS ORGANOID MODEL
Advantages of VirionBrainTM
Gene therapy testing
Virus invasion model
- Short & Long term compound testing
- 3-dimensional human tissues
- Highly physiological virus-brain organoid interactions
- Monitoring viral spreading and affected cell populations
Introducing VirionBrain, a cutting-edge service designed to assess the effectiveness of gene therapy or anti-viral compounds. Our innovative approach involves cultivating 3-dimensional neural tissue derived from human pluripotent stem cells, which are then exposed to the virus for testing purposes. The incorporation of long-term compound testing, 3D human organoids, and physiological neural-virus interactions sets VirionBrain apart from the currently employed 2D cellular and animal models. This distinction grants VirionBrain a significant advantage, making it an optimal tool for screening and validating gene therapy or anti-viral compounds. Moreover, our service extends beyond mere efficiency testing, as it enables comprehensive histological, proteomic, and genomic analyses for in-depth mechanistic studies. With VirionBrain at your disposal, you have a powerful resource to advance your research, propelling breakthroughs in gene therapy and anti-viral compound development.
VIRAL SPREAD AMONG NEURAL TISSUE
Cytomegalovirus, Enterovirus, and Zika virus showed potent invasion in our human neural tissue.
Fig. A: The Left panel shows the progression of the red-stained cytomegalovirus (CMV) in the 3D neural tissue. The right panel displays the virus copy number following infection of the organoid by CMV (black), Enterovirus D94 (grey), and African Zika (white).
MONITORING AFFECTED CELL POPULATIONS
Each virus has the potential to infect different cell types. Through histological analysis, it is evident that CMV specifically targets neural progenitors while having a weaker impact on neurons.
Fig. B: Histological analysis of neural tissue infected with CMV. Human CMV-infected cells (HCMV), neural progenitors (nestin), and neurons (bIII-tub).
QUANTIFICATION OF INFECTED CELL TYPES
CMV infection pattern remains the same between the brain of a human fetus and our 3D neural tissue.
Fig. C: CMV equally infects neural progenitors (nestin marker), and neurons (blue-tubulin marker).
VirionBrain TM Virus Invasion Model and Gene Therapy Testing - Service specifications
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Cell types |
3D Neural tissue: Generated from human pluripotent stem cells. Composed of neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and neural progenitor cells. The latter cells keep generating newborn neurons in a dynamic process. |
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Production technology |
Neurix’s MinibrainTM & Neurosphere technology with minimum batch-to-batch variability is guaranteed by extensive quality control of identity (rt-qPCR) |
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Field of application |
High throughput screening and lead treatment validation |
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Assay window |
Short-term (7 days) to long-term (one month) |
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Readouts |
- Virus copy number and/or reporter signal - 3D reconstruction of infected area and volume quantification - Quantification of infected cell number - Analysis of infected cell types |
OUR PUBLICATIONS
Cosset, É, et al. Human three-dimensional engineered neural tissue reveals cellular and molecular events following cytomegalovirus infection. Biomaterials 53, 296–308 (2015).
Royston, L. et al. Viral chimeras decrypt the role of enterovirus capsid proteins in viral tropism, acid sensitivity, and optimal growth temperature. PLoS Pathog. 14, e1006962 (2018).
Cagno, V. et al. Growth of Zika virus in human reconstituted respiratory, intestinal, vaginal, and neural tissues. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Off. Publ. Eur Soc. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 25, 1042.e1-1042.e4 (2019).
VALIDATED ASSAYS AND PROTOCOLS
The VirionBrain service is integrated into a variety of validated assays that can be implemented in drug development for efficacy evaluation of novel compounds:
- Cell viability assays
- Histological analysis (IHC & IF)
- Cell sorting and cell population analysis (FACS)
- Genomic analysis
- Proteomic analysis
CONTACT US
At Neurix, we provide tailored services for various neural applications, such as gene/cell/polymer therapy testing, brain tumor drug testing, modeling neurodegenerative diseases, and conducting neurotoxicity assays. Our team of experienced scientists is dedicated to collaborating with you to comprehend your requirements and achieve your goals.
Email: info@neurix.ch
Phone: +41 22 379 46 43
Location:
Avenue de la Roseraie 64
1205 Geneva,
Switzerland