Accelerating translation of more predictive cell models in drug discovery
Today (7th May 2019), the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) and Medicines Discovery Catapult announce the winners of the NC3Rs Technologies to Tools (T2T) awards.
The T2T awards support the translation of non-animal in vitro models and technologies into research tools that can be applied confidently in the pharmaceutical industry to support improved medicines discovery. The aim is to bridge the gap between model development and the wider uptake needed to achieve the greatest 3Rs, scientific and commercial impacts.
The winners will each receive £50K from NC3Rs and matched in-kind support from Medicines Discovery Catapult.
In-kind support will enable the winners to access Medicines Discovery Catapults industry expertise in complex cell models and wider capabilities such as mass spectrometry and Nanostring technology to further characterise their models or technologies.
It is vital that early drug discovery researchers are provided with tools more reflective of human biology for basic and applied science. These more predictive models will allow greater success of potential drugs in the clinic and better treatment options for patients.
11 research groups competed, and the winners have been selected from a short-list of 8 following an independent review process.
Technologies to Tools (T2T) 2019 award winners
University of Nottingham
Validating CRISPR-engineered human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes as tools to assist with toxicity profiling, adverse drug reaction notices and black box warnings.
University of Nottingham
Developing a rapid method for identification of key proteins that define tissues to create an array of tissue-specific hydrogels for human-relevant in vitro 3D culture.
University of Cambridge
Platform to phenotype liver metabolic disorders.
Queen Mary University of London
Translating Microvascularised Chips of a Nephrotoxicity Model.
The winning projects will kick-off from 1st May 2019 onwards.
