Drug testing platform using in vitro electrophysiology and in vivo rodent models for evaluating existing and novel cardiovascular drugs and their potential applications

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zi Chen
Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 884
Author(s):  
Marta Cherubini ◽  
Scott Erickson ◽  
Kristina Haase

Acting as the primary link between mother and fetus, the placenta is involved in regulating nutrient, oxygen, and waste exchange; thus, healthy placental development is crucial for a successful pregnancy. In line with the increasing demands of the fetus, the placenta evolves throughout pregnancy, making it a particularly difficult organ to study. Research into placental development and dysfunction poses a unique scientific challenge due to ethical constraints and the differences in morphology and function that exist between species. Recently, there have been increased efforts towards generating in vitro models of the human placenta. Advancements in the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), microfluidics, and bioprinting have each contributed to the development of new models, which can be designed to closely match physiological in vivo conditions. By including relevant placental cell types and control over the microenvironment, these new in vitro models promise to reveal clues to the pathogenesis of placental dysfunction and facilitate drug testing across the maternal–fetal interface. In this minireview, we aim to highlight current in vitro placental models and their applications in the study of disease and discuss future avenues for these in vitro models.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 401
Author(s):  
Pauline Nogaret ◽  
Fatima El El Garah ◽  
Anne-Béatrice Blanc-Potard

The opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is responsible for a variety of acute infections and is a major cause of mortality in chronically infected cystic fibrosis patients. Due to increased resistance to antibiotics, new therapeutic strategies against P. aeruginosa are urgently needed. In this context, we aimed to develop a simple vertebrate animal model to rapidly assess in vivo drug efficacy against P. aeruginosa. Zebrafish are increasingly considered for modeling human infections caused by bacterial pathogens, which are commonly microinjected in embryos. In the present study, we established a novel protocol for zebrafish infection by P. aeruginosa based on bath immersion in 96-well plates of tail-injured embryos. The immersion method, followed by a 48-hour survey of embryo viability, was first validated to assess the virulence of P. aeruginosa wild-type PAO1 and a known attenuated mutant. We then validated its relevance for antipseudomonal drug testing by first using a clinically used antibiotic, ciprofloxacin. Secondly, we used a novel quorum sensing (QS) inhibitory molecule, N-(2-pyrimidyl)butanamide (C11), the activity of which had been validated in vitro but not previously tested in any animal model. A significant protective effect of C11 was observed on infected embryos, supporting the ability of C11 to attenuate in vivo P. aeruginosa pathogenicity. In conclusion, we present here a new and reliable method to compare the virulence of P. aeruginosa strains in vivo and to rapidly assess the efficacy of clinically relevant drugs against P. aeruginosa, including new antivirulence compounds.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 8106
Author(s):  
Tianming Song ◽  
Yawei Qu ◽  
Zhe Ren ◽  
Shuang Yu ◽  
Mingjian Sun ◽  
...  

Despite the numerous available treatments for cancer, many patients succumb to side effects and reoccurrence. Zinc oxide (ZnO) quantum dots (QDs) are inexpensive inorganic nanomaterials with potential applications in photodynamic therapy. To verify the photoluminescence of ZnO QDs and determine their inhibitory effect on tumors, we synthesized and characterized ZnO QDs modified with polyvinylpyrrolidone. The photoluminescent properties and reactive oxygen species levels of these ZnO/PVP QDs were also measured. Finally, in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to test their photodynamic therapeutic effects in SW480 cancer cells and female nude mice. Our results indicate that the ZnO QDs had good photoluminescence and exerted an obvious inhibitory effect on SW480 tumor cells. These findings illustrate the potential applications of ZnO QDs in the fields of photoluminescence and photodynamic therapy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 36 ◽  
Author(s):  
João P. Cotovio ◽  
Tiago G. Fernandes

Liver disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, leading to the death of approximately 2 million people per year. Current therapies include orthotopic liver transplantation, however, donor organ shortage remains a great challenge. In addition, the development of novel therapeutics has been limited due to the lack of in vitro models that mimic in vivo liver physiology. Accordingly, hepatic cell lineages derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) represent a promising cell source for liver cell therapy, disease modelling, and drug discovery. Moreover, the development of new culture systems bringing together the multiple liver-specific hepatic cell types triggered the development of hPSC-derived liver organoids. Therefore, these human liver-based platforms hold great potential for clinical applications. In this review, the production of the different hepatic cell lineages from hPSCs, including hepatocytes, as well as the emerging strategies to generate hPSC-derived liver organoids will be assessed, while current biomedical applications will be highlighted.


Parasitology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. HEMPHILL ◽  
N. VONLAUFEN ◽  
A. NAGULESWARAN

Neospora caninumis an apicomplexan parasite that is closely related toToxoplasma gondii, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis in humans and domestic animals. However, in contrast toT. gondii, N. caninumrepresents a major cause of abortion in cattle, pointing towards distinct differences in the biology of these two species. There are 3 distinct key features that represent potential targets for prevention of infection or intervention against disease caused byN. caninum. Firstly, tachyzoites are capable of infecting a large variety of host cellsin vitroandin vivo. Secondly, the parasite exploits its ability to respond to alterations in living conditions by converting into another stage (tachyzoite-to-bradyzoite orvice versa). Thirdly, by analogy withT. gondii, this parasite has evolved mechanisms that modulate its host cells according to its own requirements, and these must, especially in the case of the bradyzoite stage, involve mechanisms that ensure long-term survival of not only the parasite but also of the host cell. In order to elucidate the molecular and cellular bases of these important features ofN. caninum, cell culture-based approaches and laboratory animal models are being exploited. In this review, we will summarize the current achievements related to host cell and parasite cell biology, and will discuss potential applications for prevention of infection and/or disease by reviewing corresponding work performed in murine laboratory infection models and in cattle.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziyu Ge ◽  
Luming Yang ◽  
Fang Xiao ◽  
Yani Wu ◽  
Tingting Yu ◽  
...  

Graphene family nanomaterials, with superior mechanical, chemical, and biological properties, have grabbed appreciable attention on the path of researches seeking new materials for future biomedical applications. Although potential applications of graphene had been highly reviewed in other fields of medicine, especially for their antibacterial properties and tissue regenerative capacities, in vivo and in vitro studies related to dentistry are very limited. Therefore, based on current knowledge and latest progress, this article aimed to present the recent achievements and provide a comprehensive literature review on potential applications of graphene that could be translated into clinical reality in dentistry.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yung-Heng Hsu ◽  
Huang-Yu Chen ◽  
Jin-Chung Chen ◽  
Yi-Hsun Yu ◽  
Ying-Chao Chou ◽  
...  

Fungal osteomyelitis has been difficult to treat, with first-line treatments consisting of implant excision, radical debridement, and local release of high-dose antifungal agents. Locally impregnated antifungal beads are another popular treatment option. This study aimed to develop biodegradable antifungal-agent-loaded Poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) beads and evaluate the in vitro/in vivo release patterns of amphotericin B and fluconazole from the beads. Beads of different sizes were formed using a compression-molding method, and their morphology was evaluated via scanning electron microscopy. Intrabead incorporation of antifungal agents was evaluated via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and in vitro fluconazole liberation curves of PLGA beads were inspected via high-performance liquid chromatography. When we implanted the drug-incorporated beads into the bone cavity of rabbits, we found that a high level of fluconazole (beyond the minimum therapeutic concentration [MTC]) was released for more than 49 d in vivo. Our results indicate that compression-molded PLGA/fluconazole beads have potential applications in treating bone infections.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 594-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre-Olivier Frappart ◽  
Karolin Walter ◽  
Johann Gout ◽  
Alica K Beutel ◽  
Mareen Morawe ◽  
...  

Background Organotypic cultures derived from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) termed pancreatic ductal cancer organoids (PDOs) recapitulate the primary cancer and can be derived from primary or metastatic biopsies. Although isolation and culture of patient-derived pancreatic organoids were established several years ago, pros and cons for individualized medicine have not been comprehensively investigated to date. Methods We conducted a feasibility study, systematically comparing head-to-head patient-derived xenograft tumor (PDX) and PDX-derived organoids by rigorous immunohistochemical and molecular characterization. Subsequently, a drug testing platform was set up and validated in vivo. Patient-derived organoids were investigated as well. Results First, PDOs faithfully recapitulated the morphology and marker protein expression patterns of the PDXs. Second, quantitative proteomes from the PDX as well as from corresponding organoid cultures showed high concordance. Third, genomic alterations, as assessed by array-based comparative genomic hybridization, revealed similar results in both groups. Fourth, we established a small-scale pharmacotyping platform adjusted to operate in parallel considering potential obstacles such as culture conditions, timing, drug dosing, and interpretation of the results. In vitro predictions were successfully validated in an in vivo xenograft trial. Translational proof-of-concept is exemplified in a patient with PDAC receiving palliative chemotherapy. Conclusion Small-scale drug screening in organoids appears to be a feasible, robust and easy-to-handle disease modeling method to allow response predictions in parallel to daily clinical routine. Therefore, our fast and cost-efficient assay is a reasonable approach in a predictive clinical setting.


Author(s):  
Basant Khare ◽  
Naina Dubey ◽  
Akash Sharma

Objective: To study the Antiulcer activity of aqueous extract of acacia catechu willd on rodent models by controlled release formulation.Methods: Microspheres were prepared by solvent evapoaration method and were evaluated for various parameters like SEM, stability and in vitro relese. And acacia catechu willd loaded microspheres were evaluated for in vivo study involving Gastric ulceration in rats was induced by Ethanol/HCl. Ulcer genic effect (Ulcer Index), pH and Total acidity, Histopathological studies.Results: Results indicated that Acacia catechu willd microspheres contains some active constituents like flavanoid which are responsible for its anti ulcer activity. Also it was observed aqueous extract loaded microspheres showed maximum activity was found (200 mg/kg) with standard Cimetidine (100 mg/kg) also, the results revealed that aqueous extract microspheres at 200 mg/kg had reduced ulcer incidence significantly, when compared to the control as evident by decrease in ulcer score in the model.Conclusion: Based on the result it can be concluded that microspheres loaded with aqueous extracts of Acacia catechu willd produced promising antiulcer activity and were safe.


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