NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – French life science firm Cytoo announced today that it, Cellectis Bioresearch, and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) are partnering to develop cell-based assays for drug development and toxicology.
The project, called ETICS, for Evolved Tissue Inspired Cell Systems, is being funded with €7.6 million ($10.2 million) over five years from OSEO, a French agency that provides funding to small- and medium-sized firms. Cytoo is receiving €4 million for the project, Cellectis Bioresearch is being provided €2.9 million, and CEA is getting €700,000.
ETICS is directed at the development of cell-based assays, to be sold as kits made up of genetically modified cells by Cellectis Bioresearch and micropatterned supports from Cytoo.
"By controlling the expression, the architecture, and the 2D and 3D environment of the cells, thus mimicking in vivo conditions of the tissue they derive from … these assays will have much higher relevance to discover better and safer drugs," Cytoo said in a statement.
According to the firm, the project could generate more than €600 million for the consortium in a decade.