NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Medicyte and Reinnervate today announced a collaboration to combine their technologies, bringing a next generation of cell-based assays to the biopharma and academic research markets.
The partnership brings together Medicyte's upcyte technology and Reinnervate's Alvetex Scaffold technologies. Upcyte are genetically engineered "upregulated" primary cells, and according to Medicyte, data suggests that upcyte hepatocytes combine the benefits of quantity — up to 2,000 vials per donor can be generated — and the quality of primary hepatocytes.
Alvetex Scaffold is a polystyrene product that provides a robust and inert scaffold for cells so that they can grow and form 3D structures in the laboratory.
Heidelberg, Germany-based Medicyte said that its upcyte hepatocytes "grown with a more native 3D morphology in Reinnervate's Alvetex Scaffold seem to outperform their 2D counterparts."
"The combination of both technologies will undoubtedly lead to a more predictive culture model without the limitation of cell supply," Joris Braspenning, managing director of Medicyte, said in a statement.
Reinnervate is life science firm based in the UK focused on the 3D cell culture market.
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.