Cellular Dynamics, ACEA Biosciences and Roche AS Collaboration
Cellular Dynamics International (CDI) announced 9/17/10 their partnership with ACEA Biosciences to bring early and accurate prediction of potential cardiotoxic side effects to the drug discovery process. The partnership combines CDI’s induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived heart cells, iCell™ Cardiomyocytes, with the xCELLigence™ RTCA System. The xCELLigence System is developed by ACEA and Roche Applied Science (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) and marketed by Roche.
CDI has supplied purified human iCell Cardiomyocytes to ACEA for the evaluation experiments, in which the xCELLigence RTCA Cardio System was used to measure the effects of cardiac compounds with known electrophysiological and/or biochemical actions on the cells as well as drugs withdrawn from the market due to cardiac liability.
- “The xCELLigence RTCA Cardio System adds a new, cutting-edge product line to non-invasive cell-based assays providing physiological relevant data. It allows customers to study drug effects on the ultimate physiological function of cardiomyocytes: heart beating,” said Ruedi Stoffel, Life Cycle Leader Cellular Analysis at Roche Applied Science. “Also, the use of the xCELLigence RTCA Cardio System, together with iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes allows reducing animal testing via the use of innovative in vitro test systems.”
- Dr. Xiaobo Wang, ACEA Vice President and CTO, stated, “We are excited that our technology allows for assessment of cardiac liability of drug candidates early in the drug development process. We look forward to working together with the scientists in this important area to test some of their compounds as part of our technology early access program prior to the launch of the RTCA Cardio System and provide them with important cardiotoxicity information about their compounds.”
iCell Cardiomyocytes, officially launched in 12/09, are the first commercial product developed from human iPS cells and are gaining wide acceptance in industrial and academic research programs.
- iCell Cardiomyocytes beat spontaneously in vitro exhibiting the electrophysiological and biochemical properties of normal human heart cells, thereby creating significant advances over current cardiac cell models;
- By providing a relevant human model, this cellular tool is designed to aid basic research and drug discovery by enabling more precise drug targeting and greater compound efficacy as well as increased predictability of toxicity screens;
- As iCell Cardiomyocytes are an in vitro based test system, that can be utilized early in the development pipeline to weed out ineffective and potentially toxic compounds prior to significant time and resource investment.
The xCELLigence RTCA system encompasses a series of instruments that utilizes specially fabricated microtiter plates containing microelectrodes for real-time dynamic monitoring of cell behavior under label-free conditions;
- A number of cell-based applications, including cell proliferation and cytotoxicity, cell adhesion, cell migration, and invasion and receptor-mediated signaling, have been developed on the xCELLigence platform;
- The xCELLigence RTCA Cardio System represents the latest addition to the portfolio, which provides a label-free, easy-to-use, fast analysis system for monitoring basic cell health and cardiomyocyte function;
- By rapidly measuring impedance at industry-leading sampling rates, the RTCA system is able to simultaneously assess cell health and physiological activity in real time, thus determining a compound’s potential effect(s) on cardiomyocyte viability, beat rate, and contractile behavior in a single hands-free assay;
- The platform’s utility extends beyond cardiotoxicity measurements as well by providing an assay system suitable for use in drug discovery efforts targeting cardiac ion channels; G-protein coupled receptors, and contractile elements.
