Sekisui XenoTech expands cell- and tissue-based product catalog
According to the contract research organization (CRO), Geneknown™ hepatocytes are pools of cryopreserved cells from multiple donors, which are assembled in order to study specific genetic variants effects on drug metabolism and transport in human hepatocytes in vitro.
The drug metabolism studies conducted with Geneknown™ are able to identify adverse drug interaction risks present in genetically-defined patient populations.
“Our genotyped hepatocytes are pooled to study the effects of specific genetic variants on drug metabolism and transport in order to identify risks of adverse drug interactions present only in genetically-defined subpopulations of patients,” Maciej Czerwiński, Ph.D., Director of Products R&D, told us. “Genetically determined transport and metabolism polymorphisms have been recognized by the FDA as having potential safety and efficacy implications. This is particularly important for poor metabolizers in cases of drugs metabolized predominantly by polymorphically expressed enzymes.”
Sekisui evaluated thirty pharmacogenetically-relevant genes for the presence of significant alleles and SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms).
The genetic make-up of Geneknown™ hepatocytes was determined with Real-Time PCR pharmacogenomic DME array provided by Thermo Fisher Scientific.
According to Czerwiński, as knowledge of drug metabolism increases, additional relevant polymorphisms will be included in the pharmacogenomic characterization of Geneknown™ cells.
Sekisui XenoTech saw record revenues in the last fiscal year as demand for its cell- and tissue-based products grew. The company expects that as new product, Geneknown™ hepatocytes will be “increasingly utilized by researchers this year as they become aware of the test system’s availability and unique benefits.”
