High-content screening (HCS) is a powerful tool that allows for the assessment of multiple endpoints simultaneously at a cellular resolution, providing more complex measurements than traditional assay formats. High-content imaging allows for the interrogation and quantitation of cellular response of disease models to treatments, stimuli, or alterations in protein expression. Combining these data with machine-learning and informatics expertise, comprehensive reports are generated that distill the data to its essential components, giving actionable insights about the experiment.
However, traditional HCS methods have limitations, particularly in accurately predicting in vivo responses. This is where HUREL® Micro Livers come in. HUREL® Micro Livers are self-assembling co-cultures of primary cryopreserved hepatocytes combined with a non-parenchymal (stromal) cell line. The hepatocytes spontaneously self-assemble into colonies to create a patented form of liver cell culture that has been demonstrated to produce the longest-enduring, most phenotypically stable, and metabolically competent liver tissue construct developed to date.
More About HUREL Micro Livers
The HUREL Micro Liver’s superior metabolic competency, derived from their multi-fold greater hepatocyte number and greater cell density within the microtiter well, is the characteristic most centrally responsible for HUREL’s delivering data of superior translational predictivity for DMPK studies. The potential benefits of using HUREL® Micro Livers in drug discovery include superior metabolic competency, long-enduring phenotypic stability, and superior translational predictivity for DMPK studies.
By using HUREL® Micro Livers in high-content screening, researchers can obtain a more accurate representation of in vivo responses, enabling them to identify potential drug candidates more efficiently. For example, HUREL® Micro Livers can be used to predict human in vivo clearance and detect metabolites of slowly metabolized drugs. This can reduce the time and cost required for drug development by allowing for early assessment of hepatotoxic risk and improving prediction of induction, drug-drug interaction, metabolites, drug transport, and toxicity.
HUREL and DMPK Endpoints
Moreover, the HUREL® micro liver coculture system can be used as artificial tissue constructs to compare interspecies DMPK endpoints between human, rat, and dog, which can further improve the accuracy of in vivo clearance prediction. This is particularly important as it can help researchers identify potential drug candidates that may be toxic or ineffective in certain species, which can save time and resources in the drug development process.
HUREL and ADME Assays
HUREL® Micro Livers have a wide range of applications in high-content screening, including toxicity testing and ADME assays. Toxicity testing is a critical component of drug development, as it helps identify potential safety concerns before the drug is tested in humans. HUREL® Micro Livers can be used to assess the toxicity of drug candidates, allowing researchers to identify potential safety concerns early in the drug development process.
ADME assays are another important application of HUREL® Micro Livers in drug discovery. ADME stands for absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, which are critical factors that determine the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a drug. HUREL® Micro Livers can be used to assess the ADME properties of drug candidates, allowing researchers to identify potential issues with drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion early in the drug development process.
In conclusion, HUREL® Micro Livers are a powerful tool for drug discovery and development, particularly in high-content screening. By using HUREL® Micro Livers in high-content screening, researchers can obtain a more accurate representation of in vivo responses, enabling them to identify potential drug candidates more efficiently. HUREL® Micro Livers have a wide range of applications in high-content screening, including toxicity testing and ADME assays. If you are interested in learning more about HUREL® Micro Livers, please reach out to a member of our team today!