Cooperative Effort between US-company Avalon and Regensburg
The research project in the Institute for Pathology and Faculty for Pharmaceutical Technology, headed by Dr. Kunz-Schughart, is currently developing a state-of-the-art assaying method for the utilization of three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures in drug development. Dr. Kunz-Schughart’s laboratory is one of only a handful with strong expertise in the culturing and characterization of multicellular spheroids. The new 3D cell cultures will be adapted for use in an automated process called‚ ‘High-Throughput-Screening’ (HTS). In the long run, clinical efficacy predictions from 3D-screening may rival existing drug testing models in accuracy and may someday even help reduce the use of animals in anti-tumor substance testing. Cooperation with the industrial partner Avalon Pharmaceuticals Inc., from the USA, should make the development of a user-friendly platform possible. The company was founded in 1999 and develops next-generation therapies for cancer and other diseases. Regensburg has maintained close relations with Avalon over the last few years. In addition to a long-term cooperation with the University of Regensburg, the President and CEO of the company, Dr. Kenneth C. Carter, came to BioPark with a delegation in early 2002. Mayor Hans Schaidinger from Regensburg visited the company in the summer of 2003, along with delegates of the business fund and Biopark.
With the successful completion of the program, a unique, worldwide collection of 3D-cell lines in spheroid culture will be available, along with protocols for their use in drug testing. The anticipated spheroid culture and data archive, located in Germany, will serve as a resource for the industrial and business communities.
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