Evercyte Senolytic Drug Testing using cell-based assays

Evercyte has developed Senolytic drug testing using cell-based assays for efficacy and toxicity. This service offers a fast-track development route from initial senolytic candidate hit to lead cell-based testing.

The drug testing service tests senolytic activity using human cells from different organs and tissues as well as different inducers of cellular senescence.

Senolytic expertise

The new service leverages from Evercyte’s more than 25 years of work and experience with cellular senescence, that have seen their scientists publish more than 130 peer reviewed articles in the field of senolytics.

Senolytics,  agents that selectively induce apoptosis of senescent cells that accumulate in tissues with ageing and at sites of pathology in chronic ailments, are now considered game changers across a range of age-associated diseases, including frailty, cardiac dysfunction, vascular hyperreactivity and calcification, diabetes mellitus, liver steatosis, osteoporosis, vertebral disk degeneration, and pulmonary fibrosis. Senolytic agents are being tested in several proof-of-concept clinical trials.

Increased focus on senolytics and senomorphics/senostatics (suppression of senescence markers or preventing secondary senescence), have brought emerging needs for new tools to identify novel agents and elucidate their modes of action, including drug screening with relevant and standardizable in vitro models.

Senolytic service features

Evercyte’s senolytic efficacy and toxicity assays are based on human cells from different organs and tissues (e.g. skin fibroblasts, umbilical vein endothelial cells, podocytes, microvascular endothelial cells, keratinocytes, kidney epithelial cells, mesenchymal stem cells) that are readily available.

The service offer several options for induction of senescence, including in vitro propagation until cells enter replicative senescence (growth until replicative senescence) or induction of stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS); using high intensity x-ray, doxorubicin, or oxidative stressors.

Evercyte has established a series of different tests for characterization of senescent phenotypes, such as cellular morphology, expression of SA-ß-galactosidase, marker gene transcription including p16, p21, etc., analysis of cell cycle progression / BrdU incorporation, or SASP analysis of senescence associated secretory phenotypes, such as analysis of expression or secretion of MCP1, Il6, IL8, and of miRNAs.

The in-vitro test systems can use either normal human cells or telomerized cells. Induction of SIPS is also possible with telomerized cells, allowing standardization of the in vitro test system.

Service benefits

The service will be highly useful for the pharmaceutical industry, including  SMEs, clinical research groups, start-up companies, as well as academic research groups.

All techniques and reagents, including cells, are available for identification and characterization of senolytic drugs and allow direct comparison of different agents.

End-user benefits include a faster process, using pre-established techniques allowing assays to be performed without delay.

Excellent data quality is assured as customer derived samples are handled by experienced cell biologists, calling on Evercyte’s voluminous experience with normal/telomerized cells, senescence, and characterization of senescent phenotypes.

Resources
Click on Evercyte Cell-based assays and CRO services for further information on services.