Exploratory Toxicology
At Axxam, we seamlessly integrate exploratory toxicology into the drug discovery process, enabling our clients to better characterize their compound hits and assess potential liabilities. Our specialized panel of cell-based assays integrates multiple readouts, in 384 well format, and tissue-specific models to deliver a comprehensive toxicological profile across key target organs, ensuring data-driven decisions at every stage of the drug development journey.
Cardiac safety
A cardiac safety panel is available to be run on high-throughput screening platforms like SyncroPatch 384i (Nanion) and QPatch 48X (Sophion), leveraging the following off-the-shelf recombinant cell lines:
- KCNH2 (hERG)
- KCNA (Kv1.5)
- SCNA5A (Nav1.5)
- KCNJ2 (KIR2.1)
- KCNQ1/KCNE1 (Kv7.1/mink)
Cardiac safety evaluation can also be performed on iPS-derived cardiomyocytes to simulate a more natural environment, as demonstrated in the image below using iCell Cardiomyocytes from FCDI.
Additionally, we perform Ca²⁺ oscillation analysis with iPS-derived cardiomyocytes, enabling both spontaneous and opto-paced evaluations.
Liver toxicity
Liver liabilities can be assessed using HepG2 cell line or, alternatively, primary or iPS-derived cells, with various detection systems and readouts. By integrating imaging, transcriptomics, and viability assays, we generate comprehensive data to evaluate the toxicological profile of your development candidates and minimize the risk of drug-induced liver injury (DILI)-related attrition.
Central nervous system (CNS) toxicity
Nervous system toxicities can pose significant challenges to clinical drug development. Axxam offers a comprehensive range of neuronal lineages, compatible with advanced technologies and readout systems, to evaluate these risks. Our services include the analysis of electrical activity (via MEA or Ca²⁺ oscillation recordings), key phenotypic features such as neurite outgrowth patterns, transcriptomics profiles (RNAseq), and viability, ensuring thorough neurotoxicity assessment.
Cell painting in toxicology
Cell painting in toxicology is a cutting-edge approach that combines high-content imaging with advanced analysis to assess the impact of compounds on cellular structures and functions. By visualizing key organelles such as the ER, mitochondria, RNA, and DNA, this technique provides a detailed phenotypic profile, enabling researchers to uncover subtle toxicological effects and enhance drug safety evaluation.
