Jens Schwamborn develops mini-brains that can be used to test drugs
Prof. Jens Schwamborn is a neuroscientist. His Luxembourg-based company OrganoTherapeutics, an offshoot of the University of Luxembourg, is dedicated to development and research using brain organoids. These are mini-brains grown in vitro that can be used to research diseases and test active substances to combat them. Schwamborn’s primary focus is on research into Parkinson’s disease, which attacks the human midbrain. Recently, however, he has been concentrating on an even more current project: the fight against the corona virus SARS-CoV2. This not only attacks the respiratory system, but it also aggressively attacks neurologically. Reason enough for Jens Schwamborn, together with the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) and DeepBioInsights, to launch a project supported by the Luxembourg government to conduct research on SARS-Cov2.
– SARS-CoV2: not only a problem for the respiratory system
– SARS-CoV2 affects different organs
– Mini brains for research against SARS-CoV2
– Drug repurposing: drugs against other diseases under test
SARS-COV2: NOT JUST A PROBLEM FOR THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
About one-third of patients who contract SARS-CoV2 also show neurological damage, with more severe courses showing this condition more often than milder. Autopsies on deceased SARS-CoV2-infected patients already showed that some neurons in their brains were severely altered. Thus, the virus has been shown to cause multiple pathological symptoms in the brain.
SARS-COV2 AFFECTS VARIOUS ORGANS
The intestine is also affected by the virus, as evidenced by detections of SARS-CoV2 in the stool of patients. However, the symptoms here are usually not severe. For researcher Jens Schwamborn, this is nevertheless an important indication, as it means that the virus is not only capable of infecting certain types of cells and tissue. It can also multiply there. In addition, SARS-CoV2 viruses can also be found in the kidneys or liver, especially in patients with high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes.
MINI BRAINS ARE USED FOR RESEARCH AGAINST SARS-COV2
The brain organoids produced in vitro by Jens Schwamborn and OrganoTherapeutics correspond in many respects to the human midbrain. This makes them particularly suitable for research into SARS-CoV2 infections and for testing and developing new or existing active substances, explains Schwamborn. For this purpose, the brain organoids are infected with the SARS-CoV2 virus under the greatest possible protective measures and then fixed so that infection is not possible for the researchers. The research focuses on how and why cells die and neuronal functions are disrupted when infected with the virus. High-throughput microscopes and powerful computer clusters help generate data that can be used to determine which genetic changes trigger the viral infection.
DRUG REPURPOSING: TESTING DRUGS AGAINST OTHER DISEASES
The data generated can help repurpose drugs already approved to treat other diseases if their active ingredients also prove effective in the fight against SARS-CoV2. In addition to repurposing an existing drug, the findings also allow for the rapid development of a new drug specifically against SARS-CoV2.
OrganoTherapeutics use cutting-edge human-specific mini-brains for the discovery and development of effective drug candidates targeting Parkinson“s disease. We screen new molecules on our proprietary human-specific minibrains which represent a model mimicking faithfully the human Parkinson“s disease pathology. OrganoTherapeutics aims at developing new drug candidates against Parkinson“s disease which are tested in state-of-the art 3D patient models. OrganoTherapeutics has developed first own proprietary drug candidates and has access to attractive libraries for further screening.
Company-Contact
OrganoTherapeutics
Jens Schwamborn
Avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux 6A
4365 Esch-sur-Alzette
Phone: +4917680774615
E-Mail: jens.schwamborn@organo-therapeutics.com
Url: http://organo-therapeutics.com/
Press
OrganoTherapeutics
Jens Schwamborn
Avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux 6A
4365 Esch-sur-Alzette
Phone: +4917680774615
E-Mail: organo-therapeutics@clickonmedia-mail.de
Url: http://organo-therapeutics.com/
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