Massachusetts Patent of the Month – October 2024
Emulate, Inc. has pioneered a groundbreaking method of culturing human neural and vascular cells within a microfluidic device, enhancing the modeling of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and spinal cord systems. This innovation uses a dual microchannel setup, where human ventral spinal neuron progenitor cells are seeded in one channel, and brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) in the other, separated by a membrane. By maintaining a flowing culture media in the system, the method supports the differentiation of spinal motor neurons, improving the maturation and functionality of these cells compared to traditional culture systems.
The approach effectively mimics the structural and functional properties of the BBB by promoting direct contact between neurons and vascular cells. This co-culture environment, facilitated by the microfluidic device, allows for better representation of physiological conditions, driving the cells to form tighter junctions and more mature electrophysiological properties. Moreover, the process supports the inclusion of other cell types, such as glial cells, which further enhance the model’s accuracy in replicating the neurovascular unit.
What sets this method apart is the ability to precisely control the microenvironment. The microchannels’ design and the use of specific extracellular matrix proteins ensure that neurons and vascular cells mature in a more robust and physiologically relevant way. These advancements have significant implications for drug testing, allowing for more accurate simulations of how therapies might interact with the BBB and affect the central nervous system. Furthermore, the ability to test patient-derived cells opens doors to personalized medicine, especially for neurological diseases like ALS, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s.
With this technology, Emulate, Inc. is pushing the boundaries of in vitro models, creating systems that can better predict how drugs will behave in humans, while also providing insights into the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases.
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The Research & Experimentation Tax Credit (or R&D Tax Credit), is a general business tax credit under Internal Revenue Code section 41 for companies that incur research and development (R&D) costs in the United States. The credits are a tax incentive for performing qualified research in the United States, resulting in a credit to a tax return. For the first three years of R&D claims, 6% of the total qualified research expenses (QRE) form the gross credit. In the 4th year of claims and beyond, a base amount is calculated, and an adjusted expense line is multiplied times 14%. Click here to learn more.
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