3D bioprinting technology to detect drugsʼ toxicity

Hepnalysis will create predictive liver bio-trials with a high level of customization during the preclinical phase.
Hepnalysis will create predictive liver bio-trials with a high level of customization during the preclinical phase.
Research
(25/01/2021)

To create liver human models bio-printed in 3D to detect the toxicity of drugs and reduce costs in the development of medicines is the objective of the Hepnalysis project, promoted by Cytes Biotechnologies, a spin-off by the UB with its base in the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), and the French company CTIBiotech.

Hepnalysis will create predictive liver bio-trials with a high level of customization during the preclinical phase.
Hepnalysis will create predictive liver bio-trials with a high level of customization during the preclinical phase.
Research
25/01/2021

To create liver human models bio-printed in 3D to detect the toxicity of drugs and reduce costs in the development of medicines is the objective of the Hepnalysis project, promoted by Cytes Biotechnologies, a spin-off by the UB with its base in the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), and the French company CTIBiotech.

The liver damage caused by medicines is a medical, scientific and public health-problem which is becoming more important every day. The hepatic injury induced by idiosyncratic drugs, known as drug-induced liver injury (DILI), is an usually under-diagnosed pathology that affects between one and two million patients per year worldwide. Also, it is the most common cause of acute liver failure -more than 50% of the cases- and the primary reason why the drugs are removed from the market -about 30%- and hospitalizations related to medicines.

Hepnalysis will create predictive liver bio-trials with a high level of customization during the preclinical phase. This will enable a notable reduction of global costs -up to 30%- and the time of drug development, as well as the number of necessary animals for preclinical trials. This technology will also enable to reduce the number of removed drugs from the market, as well as to promote a safer and more efficient development of drugs through an early detection of hepatoxicity of candidate drugs.

“For Cytes Biotechnologies, developing the Hepnalysis project and creating new models of highly functional liver cells is a great opportunity to contribute to the research on new drugs. We hope to reach great milestones derived from the combination of the Cytes Biotechnologies experience in liver cell isolation and the CTIBiotech knowledge on the 3D bioprinting technology”, notes Natàlia Sánchez, R&D director at Cytes.

 

Further information