Today, 27th September 2023, Ushio Inc., a world-class provider of organ-on-chip platforms for pre-clinical neuroscience discovery, working alongside Professor Ikuro Suzuki from the Tohoku Institute of Technology, has selected Axol Bioscience as their critical quality supplier of iPSC-derived sensory neurons.
This new agreement enables Ushio to power their advanced in vitro Nerve Plate platform with highly functional human iPSC-derived axoCellsTM sensory neurons. Derived from patient donor cells, reprogrammed into stem cells, then differentiated, axoCells sensory neurons are manufactured at scale and at high functional consistency by Axol to be a crucial component in modern neuroscience research and drug discovery.
Working in collaboration with Professor Suzuki, Ushio will offer services to the pharmaceutical industry, enabling a simpler and more accurate neurotoxicity evaluation, quantitatively predicting nerve disorder risks using AI (artificial intelligence). This novel platform aims to gain a deeper understanding of the physiological processes involved in the peripheral nervous system and identify potential therapeutics for disorders of pain, sensation, and neurodegeneration.
With over a decade’s experience in the commercialization of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, Axol Bioscience is recognized as having best-in-class manufacturing capabilities producing high-functioning iPSC-derived neuronal and neuroinflammatory cells. Under the company’s axoCellsTM offering, it partners with other companies who seek to utilize the potential of iPSC-derived cells in industrialized and high-throughput platforms.
“By integrating Axol’s functional human iPSC sensory neurons into our platform, we aim to provide high-quality human model evaluation systems to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries,” says Kenji Hatakeyama, Project Manager at Ushio Inc. “We are truly looking forward to seeing the collaboration grow organically from there and working together to advance healthcare and help patients have a healthier future.”
“We are delighted with this announcement with Ushio, another ‘powered by axoCells’ agreement that will provide the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries with an innovative, high-throughput technology platform,” added Liam Taylor, CEO of Axol Bioscience Ltd. “We greatly admire the work of Ushio and Professor Suzuki to develop highly advanced organ-on-chip technology used in conjunction with artificial intelligence analysis. It is a credit to the team at Axol that we have been selected, to power this platform with axoCells. We have enjoyed already a decade-long relationship with Professor Suzuki and look forward to developing future applications together.”
About Ushio
Ushio Inc. began operations as a manufacturer of industrial light sources in 1964. Ushio’s light technology is widely employed in cutting-edge industrial segments including biotechnology, medical applications and the environment. With over 175 billion Yen in sales, Ushio Inc. operates globally through 49 companies and employs over 5,350 employees.
https://www.ushio.co.jp/en/feature/organs-on-chip/
About Axol Bioscience
Axol Bioscience uses iPSCs to build more relevant models of human disease, to expand understanding and de-risk drug development. Axol Bioscience supports researchers and the biopharma industry with human iPSCs (axoLinesTM), iPSC-derived cells (axoCellsTM) and custom services (axoServicesTM). Axol products are manufactured under stringent ISO 9001 quality measures with robust scientific expertise and functional data.
Key takeaways
- Axol Bioscience has been selected as the critical quality iPSC supplier by leading organ-on-chip manufacturer Ushio.
- Ushio’s industry-leading Nerve Plates will be powered by axoCells iPSC-derived cells, alongside additional services, R&D and AI image analysis.
- This agreement exemplifies Axol’s key role as critical quality supplier to industry platform providers, made possible by the quality, consistency, and expertise behind the axoCells offering.
Commercial enquiries to
Duncan Borthwick, Head of Sales and Operations at Axol Bioscience, operations@axolbio.com
