Imagine trying to fix a complex engine without having the actual car to test it on. This project builds tiny, realistic 'muscle-on-a-chip' models that act like a test-drive for new medicines. By using these human-like chips, scientists can find the best way to deliver gene-editing tools to fix broken muscles without harming other parts of the body.
Drug developers for rare neuromuscular diseases lack reliable human-based models, leading to high failure rates when moving from animal models to human clinical trials.
Human skeletal muscle-on-chip devices and specialized AAV/lentiviral vectors with lineage-specific regulatory elements for targeted gene delivery.
If you are a gene therapy developer dealing with high failure rates in clinical trials for muscular dystrophies — this project developed muscle-on-chip devices that allow for screening toxicity and cell-specificity of AAV capsid variants before expensive human trials.
If you are a drug manufacturer dealing with the lack of humanized models for Duchenne muscular dystrophy — this project developed high-fidelity human skeletal muscle pathophysiology models that provide quantitative and reproducible phenotypic readouts.
If you are a hardware provider dealing with low demand for specialized lab-on-chip tools — this project developed microfabrication and microfluidics devices qualified for commercialisation to test neuromuscular therapies.
Based on available project data, specific pricing for the muscle-on-chip devices is not provided, though the project received an EU contribution of EUR 6,553,472 for development.
The project objective explicitly mentions creating muscle-on-chip devices that are qualified for commercialisation, suggesting a path toward industrial scaling.
Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not listed, but the consortium includes 4 industry partners and 5 SMEs who are likely involved in the commercialization strategy.
The project runs from 2023-06-01 to 2027-05-31, with the final stages involving GMP-compatible batches and testing in large animals to prepare for future clinical translation.
They provide a screening layer for toxicity and cell-specificity of AAV capsid variants and lentiviruses, filling the gap between basic research and animal testing.
The consortium is highly balanced for commercial translation, featuring 16 partners across 10 countries. With a 25% industry ratio (4 industry partners and 5 SMEs), there is a strong bridge between the 5 universities and 4 research institutes and the actual market. This structure suggests that the transition from lab-scale muscle-on-chip models to commercialized products is a primary goal.
Contact the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) in France.
Contact us to identify specific licensing opportunities for the AAV capsid variants developed in MAGIC.
