The nature and properties of chemical mechanisms cannot be effectively assessed independent of the systems in which they are to function.

Therein lies the impetus for our work.

As our name implies, the core of the InvivoSciences' mission is the research and development of engineered tissue-based assays that are superior because they mimic the functions of living organisms, specifically, those of animals and humans. Designed to meet the increasing demand for efficacy and productivity in the areas of drug discovery and life sciences research, we provide automated, real-time, high-content and highly sensitive detection systems that are as predictive and cost effective as they are revolutionary.

Most current in vitro drug testing methods use two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures that do not take into account the impact of the physical environment in which cells grow. While the 2D cell culture environment is useful, the cells' native environment, the extracellular matrix, will yield to the parameters of the 2D environment. This results in unsatisfactory, sometimes misleading and non-predictive data for in vivo responses. We believe the key to successful in vitro testing is to develop models that mimic the in vivo system. The ready-to-use tissues and assay platforms produced by InvivoSciences provide three-dimensional (3D) geometrics and physical environments for cells, bridging the gap between cell-based systems and isolated organ tissue systems or animal models, and can therefore act as model systems for chemical screening assays. This provides researchers with screening strategies that can assess the potential toxicity of new drugs--including those for cardiac applications--in accurate, predictive detection environments requiring less time and cost than corresponding studies using animals. Moreover, our ongoing commitment to research pushes the boundaries of toxicity assessment in drug discovery and helps reduce the risk of late-stage attrition in clinical trials.

Decades of scientific research clearly demonstrates that the integration of a human genomics component early in the drug discovery process increases the potential for success in pharmaceutical development. We have thus introduced a platform technology that incorporates predictive human cell-based, engineered tissue models that generate a uniquely informative biological activities signature for each drug candidate. This yields actionable data that can be used to drive the selection of drug leads that demonstrate the best market potential.

We know that by harnessing the predictive power of integrative systems biology on high-content information gathered from engineered tissues that mimic human organ functions, we can significantly reduce time-to-market for new pharmaceuticals without compromising clinical integrity. Thereby, our work can and will improve many aspects of human health.

The rapid and ever-increasing incidence of heart attack (myocardial infarction) cases in the U.S. and worldwide has driven the demand for therapeutics in this category. Our most recent research efforts are centered on developing an assay system that can screen and profile drug candidates to be used for treating cardiac muscles damaged after heart attacks. A heart attack injures the heart muscle forming wounds that seldom heal, leading to cardiac fibrosis and often death. Some 38 percent of heart attack survivors will die within one year due to the cardiac fibrosis that manifests itself in the altered mechanical performance of the heart and arrhythmogenesis, but few therapeutic options exist. In collaboration with academic laboratories, we are using miniaturized engineered heart tissues that can maintain their physiological or pathological properties for weeks or even months to better understand the mechanics of fibrosis development.

The functional properties of engineered heart tissues assessed by our platforms can sensitively report the cardiac side effects of drug candidates. Our platform will assess altered cardiac contractility and will predict toxic side effects of drug candidates in animal tissues.

On Mar 24-25, 2009, InvivoSciences presented its technology and business model at the World's Best Technology showcase in Texas. InvivoSciences was among the top 3 award winners at the showcase. The company was selected by investors, licensees, and tech-commercialization experts to receive the "gold" award. Visit http://www.wbtshowcase.com/wbt/web.nsf/pages/index.html for more information.