Ask an expert: What are the latest trends in in vitro models?

What are the latest trends for new in vitro models?

In the field, we have been talking about very complex models, so-called organs on chip, for a while to mimic what is going on in vivo, and this trend sort of continues. We see a lot  more functional validation of complex models in vitro that we didn’t see  three or four years ago. Ultimately though, you just need to have the right model to answer your question. So, although we are moving towards more complexity, it is not an absolute prerequisite.  I think we are currently just looking at assessing complexity versus ease of data interpretation and ease of use. In other words, a simpler model might be easier to handle and give you data that can be interpreted more easily compared to a complex one.  So we are still pushing the boundaries. There are also trends towards combining different microtissue types into one, through microphysiological systems or other similar types of approaches, to see the interaction of various organs with each other. There is a lot more  going on in that area, so we’ll wait and see where it takes us.

 

What is Newcells doing to drive its innovation in the field?

For us, in terms of our approach to innovation, the key lies in constantly revisiting the role that we see for in vitro models in the drug discovery process. What we aim to do is to give confidence to customers when making decisions about their drugs. So it is finding the right model for the right application. This means  working closely with our customers,  the regulators and key opinion leaders and really trying to make sure that whatever the decision we make, whether it has to do with innovation in our process or our models, is going to be right for the applications that the models are being used for. So we innovate both on the side of processes and on the side of models. So it is not just about having the best in vitro model, it is about how we approach the customer’s inquiry,  how we run our operations  and how we run our projects. So I would say we innovate across all areas based on the feedback that we get from clients, collaborators and key players. 

 

Where do you see the biggest advances coming from and how will it impact drug discovery for your clients?

I think one of the biggest advances currently in the field is about the amount of data you can get from a single sample. We are really maximising the use of materials (tissues, simpler and more complex  models). We now have the equipment and the data analysis tools to allow us to get a better understanding for example of the mechanism of action of  drugs in disease modelling. It is really all about data, especially as you can utilise data a lot more than you could previously. Also you get a lot more data. For example, compared to five years ago, the amount of data we get from an assay is simply huge.

 

I think one of the greatest impacts for our clients is that our models are an additional tool in their toolbox, which might replace what they are currently using, especially if it has predictive value. More and more  in vitro models have a higher predictive value than animal models, especially for gene therapy. Some animal models just simply don’t exist. So you can’t test the exact same therapeutic vectors in a human in vitro model  and in an animal model. So that is a pretty clear case for direct impact on how customers approach their preclinical testing. And obviously, with in vitro models having high predictive value, facilitates the decision making about which lead candidates to take through to the next step.

 

How does Newcells keep innovating/improving models and why?

In terms of us keeping innovating in the field, we need to bring it back to the customer and also to the patient. It is in everyone’s interest to get the drugs out to patients as quickly as possible. And some of these patients don’t have the time to wait because a lot of the diseases are fast degenerating. So if we can provide them with a model which has higher predictive value and gives out robust data, it de-risks the next steps in the drug discovery process. If the dataset we generate allows somebody to make a decision,  strengthening the case for taking that drug to the clinic and speeding up the process, I think that is the key value. How quickly can the drugs get to the patient? Here the stakeholders are both customers and patients, and we shouldn’t forget about that.

 

Where do you see in vitro models in the next 5- 10 years? Are in vitro models going to replace animal studies completely?

I don’t think in vitro models will completely replace in vivo models in the next five to ten years. We need to go with the pace of the technology, because if we don’t  the risk of not using the right model or getting the wrong answers  is still quite high. Still in vitro models might replace animal ones in certain scenarios, where for example there is no good animal model so there will be an in vitro model replacing the animal model in that particular scenario for that particular question. The next five to ten years are going to be really important to build up enough data to give us confidence.  Maybe further down the line e animal models will be reduced  more and more. We still need to generate validation data by forming  strong collaborative networks.