Neuroscience
We have conducted thousands of in vitro, and nearly 1000 in vivo studies to deliver key data for clinical candidates in Drug Discovery Programs for >100 major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide. Based on the resource needed, our senior scientists can readily offer help to design and consult on the most appropriate paths on any stages of drug discovery program for academic and industry clients.
Using an extensive array of in vitro technologies, including whole-cell robotic QPatch, manual patch-clamp and brain slice synaptic plasticity (Long-Term Potentiation) electrophysiology on MED64 planar microelectrodes, the pharmacological data collected in brain slices, transfected or cultured neurons, have helped to drive key Target Validation and Hit-To-Lead decisions on the therapeutic opportunities of test compounds in voltage- and ligand-gated channels, GPCR, transporter and enzyme targets.
In Lead Optimization Stage, further in vivo efficacy studies of compounds can be conducted in in vivo rodent behavioral pharmacological or neurological disease models in the areas of Neurodegeneration (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease), Cognition, Pain and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Psychosis, Depression, Anxiety). Furthermore, in vivo (LC-MS) and ex vivo (using radiolabel tracer) brain receptor occupancy (RO) assays, in vivo microdialysis, Laboras platform, single spinal cord dorsal horn neuron recordings, quantitative EEG (qEEG) are only some of the advanced technology platforms utilized to delineate compound efficacy in rodent and transgenic mice, in various neuropathological, behavioral and combined PK/PD/RO models.
Uniquely, the Neuroscience group also has non-human primates (Rhesus and Cynamologous) that are trained in automatic translatable cognitive tasks such as object retrieval, CANTAB, which includes delayed non-matching to sample (DNMTS) self-oriented spatial search (SOSS).