End of last year, the american legislation has ratified that new drugs no longer need to be tested in animals to receive Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. This is a huge step toward animal-free validation of drugs, but it requires the design of a relevant and more predictive drug Read more…
To treat brain disease is a challeging purpose, since the brain is protected by a barrier made by of tightly-joined endothelial cells of the cerebral microvessels, called the blood–brain barrier (BBB). To improve this route to reach the central nervous system, several strategies have been developed. Among them, researchers try Read more…
In HCS Pharma we are specialized in 3D cell culture and we have developed high skills in 3D imaging thanks to the help of our partner Molecular Devices. We are used to using powerful ImageXpress Micro Confocal Systems to investigated 3D cells morphology in HCS context from fluorescence pictures. The Read more…
It is our pleasure to announce that the article of our PhD Student Véronique De Conto has been published in Toxicology in vitro journal. This work comes from a collaboration between HCS Pharma and Inserm Unit “Degenerative & vascular cognitive disorders”. This article highlight the importance to consider carefully the Read more…
Abstract The extracellular polysaccharide hyaluronan (HA) controls cell migration, differentiation and proliferation, and contributes to the invasiveness of human cancers. The roles of HA cell surface receptors and hyaluronidases (HAses) in this process are still controversial. In order to investigate their involvement in cancer pathogenesis, we developed a reticulated HA Read more…
A publication from R. Lane et al, described the use of Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) reservoir as a biomarker for Glioblastoma tumor subtyping. In this publication Astrocytes, Glioblastoma cell lines, and Glioblastoma patient-derived stem cells were grown in BIOMIMESYS® hydroscaffold. Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most aggressive solid tumors for which treatment options Read more…
New results of growing of breast cancer (MCF7 and MCF7-sh-wisp2) cells in BIOMIMESYS® Adipose tissue as a relevant 3D in vitro model, using Keller–Segel PDE system to model chemotactical auto-organization of cells. Abstract Three-dimensional cultures of cells are gaining popularity as an in vitro improvement over 2D Petri dishes. In many such experiments, Read more…
We are very pleased to announce that Meryl, our first CIFRE PhD student, defended his doctoral thesis last week! His PhD work was dealing with the use of pluripotent stem cells to study liver diseases. He has also developed an innovative model to obtain liver organoïds in our BIOMIMESYS® product. Read more…
This summer, Vitali et al. published an article in the Open Access Journal Cancers in which they assessed anticancer combination to treat neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) using in vitro models (2D + 3D cultures in BIOMIMESYS hydroscaffolds). A NET arises in the specialized cells of the neuroendocrine system, which have traits of Read more…
Abstract The ATP Binding Cassette transporter B1 (ABCB1) induces chemoresistance in osteosarcoma, because it effluxes doxorubicin, reducing the intracellular accumulation, toxicity, and immunogenic cell death induced by the drug. The ATP Binding Cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) effluxes isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP), a strong activator of anti-tumor Vγ9Vδ2 T-cells. Recruiting this population Read more…
Abstract Bevacizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the pro-angiogenic factor vascular and endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) used in the treatment of glioblastomas. Although most patients respond initially to this treatment, studies have shown that glioblastomas eventually recur. Several non-mutually exclusive theories based on the anti-angiogenic effect of bevacizumab Read more…
Abstract In the most common primary brain tumors, malignant glioma cells invade the extracellular matrix (ECM) and proliferate rapidly in the cerebral tissue, which is mainly composed of hyaluronan (HA) along with the elastin present in the basement membrane of blood vessels. To determine the role of ECM components in Read more…
Abstract Besides tumor cells, the microenvironment harbors a variety of host-derived cells. To date, the most successful tissue engineering approaches have employed methods that recapitulate the composition, architecture and/or chemical presentation of the native microenvironment. Thus tumor engineering in biomimetic three dimensional conditions represents a dynamic cooperatively between different cell Read more…
Abstract Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and haematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) grow in a specified niche in close association with the microenvironment, the so‐called ‘haematopoietic niche’. Scaffolds have been introduced to overcome the liquid culture limitations, mimicking the presence of the extracellular matrix (ECM). In the present study the hyaluronic acid Read more…
Abstract The extracellular polysaccharide hyaluronan (HA) controls cell migration, differentiation and proliferation, and contributes to the invasiveness of human cancers. In order to investigate the sensitivity of cancer cells to antimitotic agents, we developed a cross-linked HA hydrogel, a three-dimensional matrix in which cells can invade and grow. We have Read more…
Abstract The lack of relevant in vitro models for adipose tissue makes necessary the development of a more physiological environment providing spatial and chemical cues for the effective maturation of adipocytes. We developed a biofunctionalized hydrogel with components of adipose extracellular matrix: collagen I, collagen VI, and the cell binding Read more…
Abstract Pharmacological evaluation of anticancer drugs using 3D in vitro models provides invaluable information for predicting in vivo activity. Artificial matrices are currently available that scale up and increase the power of such 3D models. The aim of the present study was to propose an efficient and robust imaging and Read more…