Physiological Models

Scientists devise novel methods in their microfluidic technology to produce optimized platforms for tissue and disease modeling

August 18, 2022

(LOS ANGELES) – A team of scientists, led by Xiling Shen, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, and Professor at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), has reached new levels in patient model development. They have developed improved methods for generating micro-organospheres (MOS) and have shown that these MOS have superior capabilities for a variety of clinical uses. As documented in a recent publication in Stem Cell Reports, their MOS can be used as patient avatars for studies involving direct viral infection, immune cell penetration and high-throughput therapeutic drug screening, something that is not obtainable with conventional patient-derived models.

July 6, 2022

(LOS ANGELES) – The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) has formally signed a collaborative agreement with San Francisco-based Openwater. TIBI, founded in 2020, fosters personalized medicine with their scientific research platforms for physiological models, devices, implants, cells, biomaterials and nutrition. They also incorporate business and technology transfer experts to adapt and develop their innovations for real-world use in the clinic.

Scientists develop droplet-based microfluidic models to predict therapeutic response accurately and rapidly

May 5, 2022

(LOS ANGELES) – A patient’s tumor cell response to therapy is affected by many factors, including genetic alterations, tumor microenvironment, and intratumoral heterogeneity. This can make it extremely difficult to determine optimum treatment regimens, amidst the ever-increasing number of drug candidates and cancer therapies that have recently been developed. Added to these challenges is the limited timeframe in which treatment decisions must be made after diagnosis – frequently on the order of two weeks or less.