Extracellular matrix in vitro disease modelling

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Development of human extracellular matrix biomaterials for in vitro disease models, target identification and drug development.

• IRAS ID

  346268

• Contact name

  Giuseppe Mazza

• Contact email

  giuseppe.mazza@engitix.com

• Sponsor organisation

  Engitix ltd

• Duration of Study in the UK

  10 years, 0 months, 0 days

• Research summary

  The process of drug discovery currently is highly inefficient, with the
  majority of compounds failing in late stage clinical trials because of lack of
  efficacy.

  Previous drug discovery platforms relied on artificial substrates and/or
  animal models. Considering clinical trials results, it is rather evident that
  targets discovered and tested employing those models did not always met
  the expectations. New approaches include lab-on-a-chips, bio-printing and
  organoids. Each of those represent an incredible advancement towards
  better models that can reproduce more human-like physiological conditions
  in a three-dimensional in vitro model. However, those new techniques still
  do not include extracellular matrix (ECM). Our research involves
  investigating ways in which new drugs can be developed using more
  physiological platforms without the use of animal studies. Human tissues
  and organs are characterized by two main components: i) cells and ii) ECM
  scaffolds. This latter is composed by ECM fibres that plays a key role in
  tissue development as well as disease progression.

  We have developed a novel methodology (licensed from UCLB in 2017) to
  remove cells from tissue and organs. This process is called
  decellularization and it results in a tissue or organ scaffold ("acellular
  material"). All that is left are the fibres which hold the organ together, with
  gaps where the cells were present. The scaffold sponge is now stable and
  can be stored for a very long time. The next step in our research is to 'seed'
  different cells causing the disease into those scaffolds.

  The immediate benefit from our research is that it can be used to
  investigate the function, biology of the organ, as well as diseases. By
  cutting the scaffold into small pieces or developing hydrogels/bioinks from
  the human scaffolds, we effectively make small 3D fully functioning organs
  in the laboratory. These can be used to explore new treatments to
  disease/illnesses as well as for in-house research services

• REC name

  West of Scotland REC 3

• REC reference

  24/WS/0157

• Date of REC Opinion

  8 Nov 2024

• REC opinion

  Unfavourable Opinion