17.03.2020 | Webinar: A new technology to evaluate mature cardiac contractility on high throughput level

FLEXcyte 96, Icon CE CardioExcyte 96 Webinar

Date: March 17. 2020, 4:00 PM CET (11:00 AM EDT)

The Webinar focuses on the FLEXcyte 96 technology, an Add-on of the CardioExcyte 96 instrument. The analysis of cardiomyocyte contractility as well as data of short-termed and long-termed compound applications is discussed.

Speakers:
Dr. Sonja Stölzle-Feix
Dr. Matthias Gossmann

Abstract:

Drug development is a costly and time-consuming process, with high drug failure rates both in early and late stages of the development process. Pre-clinical cardiac safety, toxicity and efficacy testing, usually performed using animal models with low predictive value or primary human cells, are one of the main reasons for high drug attrition rates.

To improve the drug development process, a suitable technology is required to acquire high quality data from physiologically relevant models on high throughput level. Standard cultivation methods for stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes are still based on stiff glass or plastic surfaces, creating an unphysiological environment to what cells would experience naturally and hinder them to further mature in vitro. In contrast, the FLEXcyte 96 plates mimic flexible mechanical conditions of real biological tissue and thereby enhancing the development of a mature cardiomyocyte phenotype which cannot be elicited with other assays commonly used. In combination with the FLEXcyte 96 platform, it is possible to analyze mature cardiac contractility on a 96 well high throughput level, both after acute and chronic compound treatment, ranging from 5 minutes to 5 days.

Hence, the FLEXcyte 96 system enables high throughput at lower costs and delivers highly predictive functional information on drug candidates early in the drug development process.