Physiologically-Relevant Cellular Models for Drug Discovery

Traditional drug screening relies on monolayer cell culture, which is not always predictive of natural physiological state, where the complex microenvironment consists of various cell types that interact in 3-dimensional structures. As the cost of drug development rises, there is increasing pressure for more predictive in vitro models for functional analysis and compound characterization. Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s Inaugural Physiologically-Relevant Cellular Models for Drug Discovery meeting will focus on the latest advances in 3-D cellular models, complex co-culture systems, and simple model organisms for functional analysis studies and compound screening/characterization.