Immunology Models
Therapeutic Area Overview
There are frequently several key indicators of disease onset and drug efficacy in Immunology studies that are correlated to changes in subject motion or activity. In conducting these studies with rodents, researchers often face several key challenges in needing to perform measurements and observations using manual, invasive, and imprecise methods. In addition, the labor intensity required to monitor these studies leads to fewer data points and often less translational results. Vium's Smart Housing technology solves several of these key issues in Immunology research by providing a 24/7 automated recording system that uses machine learning algorithms and around-the-clock video records to generate subject motion data points thousands of times per day, without the need for invasive procedures.
Collagen-Induced CIA Rheumatoid Arthritis Model
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease associated with chronic inflammation, primarily in the joints. RA is characterized by synovial inflammation, swelling, and autoantibody production, which result in the destruction of cartilage and bone in the small joints of hands, wrists, and feet. Vium offers a well-established rat collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model against which to validate the efficacy of potential therapeutic compounds. In the rat CIA model, both B and T cells mediate joint inflammation and destruction with signature increases in the cytokines IL-1, IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-alpha which are validated targets for development for new therapeutics.
The Vium Arthritis Index™ enables researchers to evaluate the efficacy and safety of therapeutic interventions in rodent models of RA through near realtime measurements and data analysis. Our use of physiological measurements combined with advanced analytics provides a highly sensitive readout of arthritis induction, as well as clinically relevant measures of therapeutic response. The net result is that researchers can non-invasively assess treatment effects during the course of the study, and make on-the-fly decisions about which treatment arms are worth continuing.
Vium’s Digital Platform Allows Researchers to
- 1.Improve flexibility by using standard rat CIA/ AIA or custom study designs
- 2. Collect data in the home cage non-invasively and reduce extraneous variables/ labor
- 3. Conduct adaptive studies using digital endpoints that track with conventional methods
- 4. Give researchers access to additional health biomarkers and 24/7 data
Download Study Protocol
MRL/lpr Model of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects multiple organ systems. Common characteristics include kidney disease, skin eruptions, joint pain, and neuropsychiatric complications. Lupus nephritis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients.
In this study, we hypothesize that continuous monitoring of behavioral and physiological parameters will provide additional meaningful data to assess disease and efficacy in genetic rodent models of disease, including SLE. To address this hypothesis, the objectives of this study were: 1) To investigate behavioral and physiological characteristics of MRL/lpr mice using a low-touch, continuous monitoring platform, and 2) To evaluate and compare the effects of standard of care (SOC) compounds on conventional disease measures as well as behavioral and physiological phenotypes in MRL/lpr mice.
Vium’s Digital Platform Allows Researchers to
- 1. Track longitudinal changes in disease models with greater sensitivity
- 2. Gain insight into novel and physiologically relevant phenotypes of disease
- 3. Evaluate compound therapeutic efficacy
Download Case Study
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