Glaucoma Model

Our novel tissue models and proprietary physiologic testing platforms have been employed from discovery through clinical testing, and can be used 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 vision loss due to glaucoma, at physiologically relevant levels. Results are directly translatable and provide species and clinically relevant data. Our models can include long-term and/or dynamic studies, human-based healthy or disease models, and diverse genetic populations, which is especially important as more research is compiled surrounding the evolving etiologies of glaucoma and how they apply to certain 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.

  • Humonix 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.

  • For 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 support planning 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 provides in vivo-like physiological responses to interventions. Besides being a key endpoint for drug efficacy, intraocular pressure changes can be indicative of unwanted side effects of ocular and non-ocular drugs.

  • Our models can provide relevant insight into safety and toxicity issues early in the product development pipeline by identifying an increase in intraocular pressure, which is a red flag that should be recognized very early in the discovery process. This early intervention extends beyond the development of glaucoma therapeutics across the full spectrum of new drugs. Ocular safety and toxicity testing also 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.