Glaucoma Model

Our novel tissue models and proprietary physiologic testing platforms have been used from discovery through clinical efforts, and can be tested with drugs, biologics, polymers, gene and RNA-based therapies, and implantable devices across the range of its science services.

These microphysiological systems can detect induced changes in intraocular pressure, the leading treatable cause of glaucoma blindness, at physiologically relevant levels with direct translatable, species and clinically relevant results. Our models provide the ‘best of both worlds’, including long-term and/or dynamic studies, combined with human-based healthy or disease models, and able to test diverse genetic populations.  This is especially important as multiple etiologies of glaucoma are emerging, and insights evolving that certain clinical stage results may tie to specific genetic populations.

Service Offerings

  • Ideal for screening of compound and gene libraries, Humonix’s glaucoma tissue model and testing platform can help companies accelerate results and save money to assess the efficacy of drug-like molecules during the hit-to-lead or lead-optimization stage, to triage lead compounds. This model can also be utilized to discover and evaluate the up- or down-regulation of the target proteins or receptors of interest for glaucoma.

  • We can provide a wide range of custom designed studies incorporating biological and physiological analyses (e.g. Western Blot, PCR, ELISA, immunocytochemistry, perfusion studies, etc.) of pre- and post-therapy treatment. Furthermore, these studies can be prolonged for extended periods of treatment (>30 days) allowing for additional relevant clinical insights. The high transfection efficiency achieved using our glaucoma model permits impactful target validation studies. In addition to drug screening, this model can also provide relevant insights into the effects of glaucoma-related devices and procedures (e.g. implantable extended release devices, MIGS, trabeculoplasty, laser surgery, etc.).

    For more information on transfection efficiency, read our publication from Biomaterials.

  • In support of preclinical and clinical development efforts, our glaucoma model can be used to identify a drug’s therapeutic window and conduct, optimize and refine efficacy studies to support successful IND filings and commencement of clinical studies.  Our dose response and dose ranging studies can help companies save time and money in the clinic with more precisely targeted trials.

  • Our validated glaucoma models express a multitude of relevant biomarkers, proteins and receptors that are found in vivo at the human outflow tract. This provides the biologically- relevant conditions required for studying the Mechanism of Action (MOA) of IOP-lowering targets or drug/therapy treatments. Combined with our microfluidic perfusion system, our models provide physiologically-relevant endpoints such as pressure changes in response to therapies. In addition, Humonix’s platform technology is well suited for transduction studies; enabling the silencing or over-expression of genes of interest. We provide a full suite of post-transfection characterization and analysis services. Our glaucoma models can be maintained under proper physiological conditions for weeks, making it amenable to long-term treatment protocols and validation.

  • Our proprietary Physiologic Eye Perfusion Platform™ is able to mimic, monitor and measure physiological behavior (e.g. fluid flow of the aqueous humor). The ability to mimic and measure flow and pressure changes (sub-millibar and microliter resolution) across ocular tissue is indicative of in vivo-like physiological responses to compounds and treatments. IOP changes are key endpoints of glaucoma drug efficacy as well as indicative of unwanted side effects of ocular and non-ocular drugs.

  • We fill the need for assays that can provide relevant insight into safety and toxicity issues early in the drug development pipeline. This extends beyond the development of glaucoma therapeutics and across the full spectrum of new drugs.  Increase in IOP is a red flag that should be recognized very early on in the discovery process. A number of widely prescribed drugs today are known to increase IOP as a side effect, and new alternatives should be readily sought.  Ocular safety and toxicity testing extends beyond pharma to the wider range of chemicals, additives and compounds that can impact human health.

  • Humonix’s team of scientists, engineers, and biologists implement multidisciplinary approaches for the design, implementation and validation of custom-models. Our team first understands the needs of the client/partner and learns the biology and pathophysiology of the tissue it is attempting to engineer in order to outline the various tasks that ought to be accomplished for the development and validation of the novel 3D tissue models. Humonix has successfully applied this approach to all the 3D tissue models it is currently commercializing. Therefore, it has the experience necessary to bring the 3D tissue model needs of our clients into fruition.