Planing, execution and interpretation of in vivo assays requirestime and expertise. At this unit, we give consultancy serviceson preclinical model design, support and advice for research projects, including selection and use of the appropriate imaging system and evaluation and interpretation of the data obtained.
The unit/platform is specialized in oncology and lysosomal storages diseases, and several animal models are available for this type of diseases.
However, we are experienced in developing new efficacy models for testing novel nanomaterials, carriers and therapeutica compounds. Please contact us to see how we can help you in your research Project.
Potential target toxicity of new nanomaterials and drug delivery systems has to be carefully evaluated to support further clinical assays. At U20 we can design, perform and evaluate all type of toxicological studies, including those toxicity analyses performed along with efficacy studiestomore specifically designed long-term or short-term toxicity assays.
Specifically, we provide full services of anatomical pathology, from sample preparation, inclusion, section and staining to anatomopathological evaluation.
This service is responsible for conducting regulatory preclinical studies for the pharmaceutical industry and interested companies. Among the studies that can be carried out are: in vivo toxicity studies, local and systemic tolerance and efficacy studies. Pharmacokinetic studies, dosage studies of test products and biocompatibility studies of new drugs and medical devices are also performed.
Customer benefits
These studies are carried out under strict quality regulations, certified with ISO-9001 and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), quality standards that allow the production of high-precision results.
Therefore, preclinical studies can be carried out in compliance with the strict guidelines of regulatory agencies, ensuring the reliability and traceability of all results and tests carried out in their different services.
Target customer
The services offered may be of interest to different companies and laboratories that work within the pharmaceutical industry. Companies whose objective is to test possible candidates for molecules, drugs or medical devices.
References
JUMISC Animal Housing Unit provides services to companies and research groups in multiple preclinical trials. This unit develops designs and performs preclinical validation on demand. It counts with professionals qualified to design, monitor and validate any type of biomedical study. An important feature of this unit is the possibility to house, maintain and supervise large animals for preclinical validation. This service also counts with a dilated experience in the handling and care of minipigs and what its use in preclinical studies implies.
It has a floor net area of 2.865 m2. It is equipped with spacious rooms to house experimentation animals depending on its specie characteristics (age, sex, weight, breed) and the research projects they are assigned to. Among the equipment and facilities are: rooms for the maintenance of large animals, rooms for the maintenance of small ruminants, rooms for the maintenance of birds, barrier-zone for the maintenance of rodents in SPF conditions, an operating room integrated within the barrier area, multipurpose rooms for the maintenance of rodents and lagomorphs, a room for the reception and handling of the animals, quarantine rooms for pre-experimental processes, a room for small procedures and cures and rooms for the preparation of large animals prior to the surgical area.
Among the services that the Unit develops, we highlight the following:
Customer benefits
All rooms and facilities included in the unit are certified with ISO-9001 and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), strict quality standards that allow the production of highly accurate results.
In this way, preclinical, security and efficacy studies in animal models can be performed in compliance with the strict guidelines of the regulation agencies, ensuring reliability and traceability of all tests and results performed in its different services.
In addition, this team has been certified by the Spanish Agency of Drugs and Health Products (AEMPS) for studies of “Dosification of problem substances and non-clinical samples”, “Biocompatibility studies of health products”, “In vivo toxicity”, “Tolerance” and “Pharmacodynamics”. All these certifications allow to carry out studies to verify the efficacy, security and biocompatibility of nanotechnological development.
Target customer
The offered services can be of interest to a large number of companies, including the following:
Pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies: Companies that carry out preclinical and clinical studies for the development of drugs, therapies and biotechnological products and require animals to test the efficacy and security of their products.
Academic Researchers: Professors, researchers and students from academic institutions who need access to animals to conduct scientific research in areas like biology, medicine, behaviour, etc.
Medical Institutions: Hospitals, clinics and medical research centres that conduct studies to understand human diseases and develop medical treatments, including preclinical trials on animals.
Medical devices companies: Medical devices manufacturers who need to test the security and efficacy of their products on animals before commercialization.
Regulatory agencies: Government agencies in charge of regulating and monitoring security and efficacy of medical and pharmaceutical products, which may require data from animal studies to support products approval.
Food and agriculture companies: Companies that develop food and agricultural techniques may need to conduct animal studies to evaluate food security, the effects of additives, efficacy in agricultural products, etc.
Additional information
Selected publications:
The aim of this service is to evaluate the in vivo toxicity of nanoparticles and drug-loaded nanoparticles. Thus, we offer different mouse models in which we can determine the toxicity of the compounds. We offer to evaluate the nanotoxicology in healthy mice of any strain or in tumor mouse models. In the service we have subcutaneous and orthotopic/disseminated models of lymphoma, leukemia and colorectal, endometrium, head and neck carcinomas. Moreover, we have also available PDX models of colorectal and endometrium cancer. We can also offer the possibility to set up new animal models of other tumor types.
Customer benefits
The customer will benefit from the experience of the researchers involved in the service that have evaluated the nanotoxicology of a high number of diverse nanoparticles. The service has also high expertise in developing new cancer animal models. Thus, we offer also the possibility of setting up new models of any cancer type that fit with the needs of the customer. Moreover, the conditions of the assays are flexible and will be adapted to the need of each specific compound.
Target customer
The offered service can be of interest to research groups of academia or companies willing to test the nanotoxicology of nanoparticles or drug-loaded nanoparticles in vivo.
References
The aim of this service is to evaluate the in vitro toxicity of compounds in different types of normal human cells in which we determine the effect using different types of assays including MTT, LDH release and caspase activation. The cellular models that we offer include cells from kidney, liver, bone marrow stroma or peripheral blood. Additionally, we are offering immunology assays including detection of NO production and chemotaxis and phagocytosis assays.
Customer benefits
The customer will benefit from more than 20 years of experience of the researchers involved in the service that have performed the in vitro evaluation of the toxicity of different nanoparticles and other types of compounds. We offer also the possibility of setting up new in vitro assays or to offer other cellular models that could be of interest for the costumer. Moreover, the conditions of the assays are flexible and will be adapted to the needs of each specific compound.
Target customer
The offered service can be of interest to research groups of academia or companies willing to test the toxicity of any compound in vitro.
References
The Confocal Microscopy Service offers the possibility of making optical section of samples and enabling their three-dimensional reconstruction, which allows their visualization in high resolution with exceptional clarity and detail.
The unit is equipped with a Leica TCS-SP5 confocal microscope. The confocal module is equipped with three spectral detection channels, AOBS (Acousto-optical beam splitter) and a resonant scanner system that allows analysis at high speed and resolution and makes possible the analysis of dynamic in vivo physiological processes in short periods of time, significantly improving the survival of living biological samples by shortening the exposure times to lasers. Includes 1 argon laser, 1 He/Ne laser, 1 DPSS laser diode and 1 violet excitation laser. The microscope is coupled to a cell incubation kit that allows multi-position time lapse experiments. The equipment includes a workstation and four software for acquisition and analysis, which allow 3D visualizations, co-location studies, FRAP (Fluorescent Recovery after Photo-bleaching), FLIP (Fluorescent Loss in Photobleaching) and FRET (Fluorescence Resonant Energy Transfer). The equipment allows 3D characterization in detail of living cells and tissues through the use of different fluorochromes, expression and localization of molecules in 2/3D, colocalization and interaction of proteins or other types of molecules; endocytosis and intracellular transport, in situ hybridization with fluorescent probes, interaction studies between cells and materials, etc.
The unit provides researchers with a wide array of routine and specialized services as well as the latest advances in microscopy, including technical and scientific support to scientists for the study of cell/tissue biology, physiology and pathogenesis of diseases. Overall, the Confocal Microscopy Service serves as a valuable tool to advance scientific research and understand complex biological systems at the cellular and molecular level.
Customer benefits
Confocal microscopy is useful in biomedical science, cell and molecular biology and physiology for visualizing subcellular organelles, cellular interactions, disease mechanisms, co-localization studies, analysis of gene expression or in vivo and real-time experiments using markers or fluorescent fusion proteins.
Also, in tissue engineering and materials science, confocal microscopy enables surface morphology characterization, and material properties.
Confocal Microscopy Service offers specific advantages to customers by providing high-resolution imaging and adding value through access to advanced instrumentation and expertise. It becomes essential for organizations involved in Research and Development across various sectors, enabling them to advance scientific understanding, accelerate innovation, and drive discoveries that have social impact.
Target customer
The Confocal Microscopy Service becomes essential for organizations involved in Research and Development in various scenarios:
References
This service provides quantitative surface chemical elemental composition of a wide range of materials by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In addition to obtaining the elemental composition of the surface of the materials studied, it is possible to determine their chemical state and the overall electronic structure and density of electronic states of the material. Using this technique, it is possible to check which elements are present on the surface of the material, as well as to which other elements they are bonded. In addition, this service offers the possibility of depth profiling when combined with ion beam etching.
Customer benefits
The instruments are located in the Research Support Services, specifically in the Analysis and Characterisation of Solids and Surfaces Service. Within the service there is a Doctor responsible for the instruments, in charge of their management and handling, as well as optimising their use as much as possible.
Target customer
Being located within the Research Support Services, it allows full access to the instruments (handled by a specialist in the technique) to the entire scientific community, both at the University of Extremadura and other public and private organisations.
Additional information
This service employs one of the most powerful techniques at the level of detection and resolution both laterally and in depth for chemical composition measurements on surfaces and depth on thin films, such as TOF-SIMS or detection of secondary ions by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In this way, the chemical composition of different materials can be tracked to form 2D and 3D conformational depth mappings or profiles of the system under study. In addition, the service allows surface analysis of organic and inorganic materials by obtaining mass spectra, mapping of chemical elements present on the surface of the sample by imaging and depth profile analysis.
Customer benefits
The instruments are located in the Research Support Services, specifically in the Analysis and Characterisation of Solids and Surfaces Service. Within the service there is a Doctor responsible for the instruments, in charge of their management and handling, as well as optimising their use as much as possible.
Target customer
Being located within the Research Support Services, it allows full access to the instruments (handled by a specialist in the technique) to the entire scientific community, both at the University of Extremadura and other public and private organisations.
Additional information
