Imagine trying to test a new heart medicine on a flat layer of cells, which is like testing a car engine on a piece of paper. This project creates tiny, 3D strips of real human heart muscle that beat and contract just like the real thing. By shrinking these tissues and putting them into special plates, scientists can test thousands of drugs quickly and accurately.
Cardiovascular drug development suffers from a 91.8% clinical failure rate because current 2D cell models do not accurately predict human heart reactions. Existing 3D models are too expensive and slow for the high-throughput needs of the pharmaceutical industry.
A microtiter plate with a microfluidic layer capable of supporting miniaturized 3D cardiac strips (µ3D cardiac strips) compatible with robotics.
If you are a pharma company dealing with a 91.8% failure rate during clinical development — this project developed µ3D cardiac strips that provide a more physiologically relevant readout. This allows you to identify failing drug candidates earlier in the process.
If you are a CRO dealing with high costs per data point in 3D modeling — this project developed a microfluidic plate that requires only 20,000 cells per strip. This makes the use of human 3D cardiac strips commercially viable for your clients.
If you are a biotech company dealing with the difficulty of scaling 3D tissue production — this project developed a microtiter plate compatible with robotics and large-scale production. This enables the automated culture of hundreds of chambers consistently.
The technology miniaturizes 3D cardiac strips so they only require 20,000 cells to produce. This significantly reduces the cost per data point, making the process commercially viable.
Yes, the plates are designed to conform to the standard microtiter plate format and are compatible with drug discovery robots and microfluidic automation.
The project uses Open-TOP microfluidic technology to enable the automatic and consistent culturing of hundreds of chambers, specifically designed for high-throughput scales.
Based on available project data, River BioMedics plans to discuss various partnering options and financial deal structures with Pharma partners and CROs to validate the best business model.
The project period is from 2023-01-01 to 2025-11-30.
The project is led by a single SME, River BioMedics B.V., resulting in a 100% industry ratio. This lean structure suggests a fast-track approach to commercialization, focusing on a direct transition from the University of Twente's technology to a market-ready product without the complexity of a large academic consortium.
Contact River BioMedics B.V. regarding partnership options for high-throughput cardiac screening.
Contact us to connect with the River BioMedics team for pilot testing opportunities.
