Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

The use of patient-derived human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provides unparalleled opportunities to dissect human disease pathogenesis and progression. Human iPSCs retain the genetic signature of the donor patient and are as close to the real thing as we can currently attain with modern scientific techniques. NUVISAN strongly believes that iPSCs are indispensable in contemporary drug development pipelines.

Our focus at NUVISAN is building substantial infrastructure to support the use of hiPSCs in disease modeling (see below) and compound screening. We offer a range of customizable service packages depending on our client’s wishes, and we would gladly be your partner through your drug discovery journey with hiPSCs.

Disease Modeling

Our in-house team of hiPSC specialists will collaboratively develop your projects with our flexible and customized solutions. Whether you choose to work with your own hiPSC lines, our curated in-house lines, or have us use our extensive network to source the ideal line for your project, we always implement stringent quality control measures to ensure optimal results.

Additionally, our CRISPR/Cas9 experts can develop genome edited hiPSCs from healthy lines resulting in a mutation, the correct diseased hiPSC lines (isogenic controls), or the generation of reporter lines. The transcriptome of hiPSC lines and their derivatives can also be assessed with RNA sequencing.

Established hiPSC-Derived Cell Models

Ventricular Cardiomyocytes

Ventricular cardiomyocytes are the major functional component of heart muscle. We can generate hiPSC-derived ventricular cardiomyocytes that express a range of cardiac and muscle-specific markers that are widely accepted in the field. Each batch of differentiated cardiomyocytes undergoes stringent assessments for purity and viability. We can also perform functional measurements assessing contractility, field potential, signal propagation, and local extracellular action potential (LEAP) using the Maestro Pro MEA assay system (Axion BioSystems).

Cardiac Fibroblasts

Cardiac fibroblasts have an increasingly appreciated role in cardiac homeostasis, with important functions in overall tissue architecture and physiological and pathological remodeling. They are an essential component of our 3D engineered cardiac organoids.

3D Engineered Cardiac Organoids

It is increasingly accepted that providing cells with the appropriate spatiotemporal context and external cues permits them to advance in their maturation status. We can generate 3D-engineered cardiac organoids (ECOs) in multiple geometries (e.g., as spheroids, rings, or strips), depending on your desired application.

These macro-scale tissues can be tuned in complexity by multiplexing with additional cell types of your choice. By utilizing hiPSC-derived ventricular cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts from the same hiPSC line (donor), we can ensure that we are recapitulating the correct cell-cell interactions unique to that patient. ECOs generate contractile forces and respond to standard reference compounds. We are also able to mimic disease scenarios in vitro, such as localized myocardial infarction with the concomitant release of clinically relevant cell death markers. We have developed methods that differ from the state of the art to generate ECOs.

Custom Disease Models

We are constantly expanding our hiPSC-derived cell portfolio in the cardiology and neurology indication spaces. However, should you be interested in an hiPSC-derived cell type that is not yet listed in our established inventory, we are more than willing to discuss possibilities to achieve your goal.

Screening

In collaboration with our compound screening experts, we provide wild type and diseased hiPSC-derived cells that have been validated to possess functional and physiological relevance. Utilizing our arsenal of tools as described in our disease modeling capabilities, we can provide cells in quantities suitable for high-content and high-throughput analyses.

Our Offers

We are specialists in adapting to the needs and requirements of our customers. Therefore, we offer a range of entry and exit points to suit whatever phase you are in on your drug discovery journey. We also pride ourselves in the ability to be your scientific sparring partner, ensuring that any results will stand up to scientific rigor.