Science

Cell Invent’s clinical cell biology approach is based on extensive research at Lund University where patients and control individuals are followed longitudinally with wide-ranging clinical characterization.

Our research shows that when the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are noticed, the brain has been attacked by the disease for as long as 10 to 15 years. We aim to stop activated Alzheimer’s mechanisms at an early enough time point for symptoms never to be noticed.

Experimental model systems

Experimental AD research is primarily performed on mice genetically modified to express one or several genes with AD-causing mutations. Today we know that drug candidates based on animal models have repeatedly failed in several large phase III trials.

Our novel approach builds on remarkable breakthroughs in cellular reprogramming. These techniques open for human-based disease models of significantly greater clinical relevance than today’s animal models.

Our research at Lund University is performed on clinically well-characterized patients and healthy controls. Some of these individuals have donated skin cells to be used for experimental AD research. We use direct conversion techniques that turn skin cells into brain cells in four weeks. Compared to the standard stem cell-derivation techniques, brain cells generated by us preserve cellular age, a property of potentially critical importance given that age is the main risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. 

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