Neuro Screening Services
Advanced Neurotoxicity and Efficacy Screening for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Beyond. Accelerate your path from discovery to treatment.
Unrivaled In Vitro Human Cell Models
Our co-culture assays integrate human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models of neurons, microglia, and astrocytes to drive breakthrough drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases.
Redefines Precision
Ultra-fast KIC® imaging captures dynamic cellular responses with unrivaled accuracy
Breakthrough Insights
CyteSeer® analysis reveals cellular intricacies to deliver transformative, data-driven insights
Our platform delivers high-content screening with unmatched precision, providing reliable real-time, insights into complex neuro cell behaviors
.
Case Study 1. Measuring Parkinson's Disease-relevant activity using Kinetic Image Cytometry
Vala Sciences used KIC® technology to measure voltage activity in hiPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons, uncovering new insights into Parkinson’s Disease. The A53T α-synuclein mutation caused a two-fold increase in spontaneous activity, suggesting a possible link to excitotoxicity in disease progression.
Excitotoxicity Insights
KIC® imaging of cells stained with FluoVolt™ sensor revealed that A53T α-synuclein mutant dopaminergic neurons have ~2x higher spontaneous voltage activity than controls, indicating excitotoxicity in Parkinson’s Disease.
High-Throughput Analysis
CyteSeer® quantified 30 kinetic parameters per voltage transient across hundreds of neurons in 96-well plates in <10 minutes.
Drug Discovery Potential
IC200-KIC® detected action potentials and depolarizations at 5 Hz stimulation, enabling scalable screening for Parkinson’s treatments.
Case Study 2. Developing Human-relevant CNS co-culture models
In this pilot study, Vala Sciences demonstrated how IC200 KIC® and CyteSeer® can be used to analyze calcium signaling in co-cultures of hiPSC-derived CNS neurons and astrocytes, revealing distinct effects of test compounds and highlighting the platform’s value for human-relevant CNS model development.
Enhanced Calcium Transient Detection
4-aminopyridine
significantly enhances excitability (spikes per second) by blocking potassium channels, leading to prolonged action potentials and increased synaptic activity.
Inhibiting Neuron-Astrocyte Communication
In contrast, Tetrodotoxin silences neuronal firing by blocking sodium channels leading to a reduction in activity-dependent calcium influx..
Human-Relevant Applications
Combining human cell models with IC200-KIC® optical electrophysiology and CyteSeer® analysis enables numerous applications, including epilepsy modeling, neurotoxicity screening, and drug discovery targeting ion channels or synaptic transmission.