SLAS2017 Short Courses

3D Cell-Based Assays for Drug De-Risking

Cell-based in vitro assays are used throughout the drug discovery and development chain, allowing for high throughput efficacy but also mechanistic-based toxicity testing. A big challenge however is the translation of in vitro assays towards the in vivo outcome. Physiological relevance is a key parameter to improve the predictive power of cell-based assays. The better we can reflect tissue architecture, composition and function the more predictive an in vitro assay will become. The 3D course covers advances in 3D cell culture technologies, assays and their use in drug discovery and development.

Who Should Attend:

Industry and academic scientists with mid- to advanced-level experience in cell-based assays or cell biology wishing to get a concise overview about technologies, advantages, cost and application examples of 3D cell-based assays.

How You Will Benefit From This Course:

• Guidelines how to develop 3D cell-based assays.
• Guidelines how to use 3D models for phenotypic drug discovery
• State of the art overview about current methods in the rapidly evolving field of 3D cell-based assays.
• Solid starting point for participants interested in introducing 3D cell-based assays in their organization.
• Gaining expertise to use advanced cell culture models for drug discovery and drug development

Course Topics:

• In-depth overview of 3D cell culture technologies and models: Comparison of the most important methods for 3D cell culture including hydrogel, scaffold, self-assembly, bioprinting and multi-organ devices; implementation strategies, automation, and work flows; comparison of advantages, disadvantages and cost.
• How to adapt assays and readouts for 3D cell culture models: Using and optimizing existing biochemical assays; applying imaging technology for growth-curve measurements; histology and immune histochemistry; high-content analysis
• Case studies for the use of 3D models in drug discovery: 3D tumor models; co-culture systems; applications in screening of large libraries; target validation, 3D-based phenotypic drug discovery
• Case studies for the use of 3D and multi-organ models in development: Toxicology-related models derived either from primary cell sources or stem cells and their use for safety testing such as liver toxicology, inflammation-mediated toxicology

Instructors:

	Dr. Helena Hogberg Deputy director of the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. The role of the center is to promote human science by supporting the creation, development, validation, and use of alternatives to animals in research, product safety testing, and education. Dr. Hogberg has an expertise in cell based in vitro toxicology with a main focus on (developmental) neurotoxicity and 3D models. Dr. Hogberg was involved in the multi-millionaire project “human-on-a-chip” funded by the DARPA, NIH and FDA.
	Dr. Jens M. Kelm, Chief scientific officer and co-founder of InSphero AG, Zurich, Switzerland (assays and applications in oncology and toxicology) and co-founder of the Swiss competence center for "Tissue Engineering for Drug Development TEDD": 14 years' experience in 3D cell culture using a wide variety of cells and technologies, previously director at the Center for Applied Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine at the University of Zurich CABMM.
	Terry Riss Promega Corporation Dr. Terry Riss started the Cell Biology program at Promega in 1990 and held several R&D; and Project Management positions since. Dr. Riss managed development of cell viability, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and protease assay systems and also lead efforts to identify and promote multiplexing of cell-based assays to determine the mechanism of cell death. Dr. Riss now serves as Global Strategic Manager, Cell Health involved in outreach educational training activities. Dr. Riss has participated in several NIH study sections reviewing HTS grants and is co-editor of the In Vitro Cell Based Assays section of the Assay Guidance Manual hosted by NIH.