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This section covers many common questions. You might find your answer right here.
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Contact dermatitis is an adverse cutaneous reaction resulting from direct contact with irritant or allergic substances.
The skin reaction is an inflammation-driven process characterized by swollen itchy red rash or rough and dry skin. see more ...
Ovalbumin (OVA) is a frequent food allergen in egg responsible for atopic dermatitis (AD) in childhood. Sensitization of mice with ovalbumin induces inflamed skin lesions resembling human atopic dermatitis and thus has been used as an in-vivo model for identifying potential anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating drugs. see more ...
Oxazolone mediates skin reaction that features atopic dermatitis. It is used as an in vivo model for identifying potential anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating drugs. see more ...
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by the progressive degeneration of neuronal populations and the simultaneous loss of memory and cognitive functions.
NEUROFIT offers various cellular and animal models able to evaluate the neuroprotective effect or the cognitive / memory enhancing properties of compounds. see more ...
Scopolamine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist is widely to induce cognitive / memory impairment in clinical research (human volunteers) and in experimental animals. see more ...
The T-CAT test allows to evaluate cognitive / memory performance as assessed by the number of spontaneous and continuous alternation in the T-maze. Indeed, lower the alternation rate lower the cognitive performance is. see more ...
The Passive Avoidance is a fear-motivated test used to assess short- or long-term memory in laboratory rodents. see more ...
The object recognition task in rodents is considered a test for evaluating working memory in rodents. see more ...
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) affects up to 20% of people aged over 60. MCI is known as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Aged mouse is widely used as a model for testing therapies for MCI but can also serves as a model for evaluating general cognitive enhancers for dementia. see more ...
The T-maze test allows to evaluate memory deficit (reduction in the number of alternation) useful as model for screening compounds with cognitive enhancing properties. see more ...
β-amyloid i.c.v injection induces learning deficits and a dysfunction of the cholinergic system. see more ...
The Passive Avoidance is a fear-motivated test used to assess short- or long-term memory in laboratory rodents. see more ...
α7 nicotinic receptors appear to be critical for cognitive function under various disease conditions.
Thus, Methyllycaconitine induced-cognitive deficit mimics the dysfunction α7 nicotinic receptors pathway and allows the evaluation the efficiency of cognitive enhancing drugs. see more ...
The T-maze test allows to evaluate memory deficit (reduction in the number of alternation) useful as model for screening compounds with cognitive enhancing properties. see more ...
Translational in vivo model of inflammation-induced cognitive deficit.
Inflammation is produced in mice by single administration of a non-septic dose of LPS.see more ...
The T-maze test allows to evaluate memory deficit (reduction in the number of alternation) useful as model for screening compounds with cognitive enhancing properties. see more ...
Intoxication of neuronal cultures with Aβ has been widely used to understand some of the mechanisms of cell death in AD and thus represents an instrumental in-vitro system to evaluate the efficiency of new drug candidate. see more ...
The survival test exploits the natural tendency of cells to die in culture and is therefore used to assess the neuroprotective properties of your compounds. see more ...
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Prevention of Aβ 1-40-induced neuronal injury
by pretreatment with bFGF -
Prevention of Aβ 1-40-induced neuronal injury
by pretreatment with BDNF
NEUROFIT has developed a functional neuronal assay that accumulates extracellular Aβ. The system is tailored to assess the efficiency of Aβ lowering drugs such as BACE inhibitors. In parallel, the assay provides also information about the potential safety or neurotoxicity of the tested drug. see more ...
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*** statistically significant as compared to the Control.
Inhibition of production of Aβ1-42 by BMS-299897 in cultures of hippocampal neurons.
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** statistically significant as compared to the Control.
Effect of BMS-299897 on the survival of hippocampal neurons in cultures.
Progressive cell loss in neuronal populations is a pathological hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases. The development of new compounds which can mimic neurotrophin effects and have drug-like propertises appears to be a promising strategy for the development of new therapeutics in neurodegenerative diseases. see more ...
Neuritogenesis is a critical aspect of neuronal maturation, health, plasticity and regeneration.
Measure of neuritogenesis including neurite outgrowth is instrumental for the screening of neuromodulatory, neuroprotective, neuroregenerative as well as neurotoxic effect of compounds. see more ...
Synapse loss and dendritic atrophy are common in psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders and they are strongly correlated with cognitive decline. For example, synaptic loss in the hippocampus or cortex is an early and invariant feature of Alzheimer's disease.
NEUROFIT offers Human iPSC Neurons-based screening to evaluate the capability of test compound to promote dendrite formation and growth. see more ...
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FGFs are a family of growth factors involved in neuronal survival and differentiation during development and adulthood.
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Diazepam (Valium) is a benzodiazepin used to treat anxiety disorders.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease or Charcot disease) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the gradual degeneration of motor neurons causing ascending paralysis and leading to death. The role of excitotoxicity in the ALS physiopathology is now recognised. Glutamate receptors activation contributes greatly in mediating injury to motor neurons. In vitro, a brief exposure to glutamate or NMDA causes neuronal death mainly by excessive stimulation of NMDA receptors.
The loss of motor neuron units can be visualized in vivo by the measure of the Compound Muscle Action Potential (CMAP) over time.
NEUROFIT runs routinely these highly sensitive models to assess the efficiency of your treatments. see more ...
Measurement of electrophysiological parameters such as SNCV (sensory nerve conduction velocity) and CMAP (compound muscle action potential) are useful tools to assess the neuromuscular junction function. Used in combination with fiber morphometry measurement, these measurements can bring you a complete overview of the neuroprotective and neuro-regenerative effect of your compounds. see more ...
An example of the relevance of this measurement is provided in the publication below.
Glutamate receptors activation contributes greatly in mediating injury to motor neurons. In vitro, a brief exposure to glutamate or NMDA causes neuronal death mainly by excessive stimulation of NMDA receptors. see more ...
The survival test exploits the natural tendency of cells to die in culture and is therefore used to assess the neuroprotective properties of your compounds. see more ...
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Effect of MK-801 on neuronal death induced by glutamate -
Effect of acute glutamate on neurite network
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Evaluation of neuronal viability in response to acute NMDA intoxication
Motor neurons and muscle fibers are dependent on each other as the motor unit formation and maintenance depends on continuous trophic, electrical and mechanical cross-talk between muscle and motor nerve. This unique expertise of Neurofit allows us to observe motor neuron-dependent myocontraction and thus evaluate the ability of compounds to improve spinal motor neurons functionality. This model could be used to evaluate neurotrophic activity and more generally therapeutics for neuromuscular diseases.
To our knowledge, it is the only cellular model able to test compounds acting on the neuromuscular junction. see more ...
The ability of compounds to improve spinal motor neurons functionality can be assess by determining their ability to innervate and to induce muscle innervation in a co-culture of rat spinal motor neurons with human muscle.
This model could be used to evaluate neurotrophic activity of compounds. see more ...
Enhancing of the axonal growth is one of the strategy currently under investigation concerning ALS treatments that’s why we propose our neurite outgrowth model on spinal motor neurons. see more ...
Neuritogenesis is a critical aspect of neuronal maturation, health, plasticity and regeneration. Measure of neuritogenesis including neurite outgrowth is instrumental for the screening of neuromodulatory, neuroprotective, neuroregenerative as well as neurotoxic effect of compounds. see more ...
Anxiety occurs depending on various environmental and physiological stressors which can imply several biological pathways.
At NEUROFIT, we propose different solutions depending on the pathway you want to address. see more ...
Animal modelsPanic anxiety is induced in healthy volunteers by injection of panicogenic drugs such as choleocystokinin tetrapeptide (CCK-4) or Yohimbine; and this method is commonly used as a clinical testing of new anti-panic / anxiolytic drugs.
The NEUROFIT model of panic anxiety is performed in the rat and has been validated using the Elevated Plus Maze test (EPM). In line with the clinical finding, benzodiazepines normalize the panic anxiety status of rats challenged with CCK-4 or with Yohimbine. see more ...
Cholecystokinin tetrapeptide (CCK-4) causes a panic anxiety in human volunteers.
NEUROFIT uses CCK-4 in rats to induce panic attacks for the purpose screening the efficacy of anxiolytic or panicolytic drugs. see more ...
Yohimbine causes a panic anxiety in human volunteers.
NEUROFIT uses CCK-4 in rats to induce panic attacks for the purpose screening the efficacy of anxiolytic or panicolytic drugs. see more ...
These models explore the behavioural reaction of rodents when exposed to innate aversive stimuli. see more ...
The light dark paradigm in mice is based on a conflict between the innate aversion to brightly illuminated areas and the spontaneous exploratory activity. see more ...
The marble burying test is used to record the number of marbles buried by mice placed in a novel environment. This test has some predictive value for anti-depressant and/or anxiolytic drugs. see more ...
The elevated plus maze (EPM) test is used to evaluate the relative anxiety status of mice or rats. The EPM situation rests on the conflict between the innate tendencies of rodents to explore novel environments and avoid open and brightly lit areas. see more ...
1 mg/kg Diazepam induces a significant increase
in the time spent in the open arms.
1 mg/kg Diazepam induces a significant increase
in the time spent in the open arms.
The current treatment of depression are based on the "monoamine hypothesis" which claims that depression is caused by monoamine dysfunction in the brain. Today, growing interest has shifted to the reactivation of a juvenile-like plasticity in the brain for the treatment of depression. The reason of this new focus comes from the ability of monoamine oxidase inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants to rapidly increase monoamine transmission without inducing immediate mood-enhancing properties.
NEUROFIT proposes different animal and cellular models to evaluate the efficiency of your compounds following these different hypothesis. see more ...
Animal modelsAnimals placed in a container filled with water show periods of increased swimming activity and periods of relative immobility. Immobility occurs once the animals learned that escape is impossible and it has been reported to reflect behavioural despair.
Forced swimming test is widely used to predict the antidepressant action of drugs in humans. see more ...
The marble burying test is used to record the number of marbles buried by mice placed in a novel environment.
This test has some predictive value for anti-depressant. see more ...
Neurite outgrowth in primary neuronal culture is an indicator of neurogenic and neurotrophic activity of compounds. Neurite outgrowth is a common feature of current antidepressant drugs on the market and represents neuroadaptative responses to these drugs. see more ...
Synapse loss and dendritic atrophy are common in psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders and they are strongly correlated with cognitive decline. For example, synaptic loss in the hippocampus or cortex is an early and invariant feature of Alzheimer's disease.
NEUROFIT offers Human iPSC Neurons-based screening to evaluate the capability of test compound to promote dendrite formation and growth. see more ...
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FGFs are a family of growth factors involved in neuronal survival and differentiation during development and adulthood.
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Diazepam (Valium) is a benzodiazepin used to treat anxiety disorders.
Epilepsy is characterized by transient seizure which corresponds to an abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
NEUROFIT is able to reproduce this symptom thanks to the PTZ-induced seizure model and is thus able to evaluate the efficiency of your compound in that therapeutic field. see more ...
PTZ is a non-competitive GABA antagonist that causes convulsion in human as well as in mouse and rat. see more ...
Inflammation is a component of several pathologies including Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, arthritis and dermatitis.
Acute inflammation occurs over seconds, minutes, hours and days after an injury whereas chronic inflammation which occurs over longer times. see more ...
The carrageenan mouse air pouch is an in vivo model that can be used to study acute and chronic inflammation. The inflammatory reaction is characterized by an infiltration of cells and an increase of pro-inflammatory mediators.
This model is extensively used to evaluate potential anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory drugs. see more ...
Translational in vivo model of inflammation-induced cognitive deficit.
Inflammation is produced in mice by single administration of a non-septic dose of LPS.see more ...
The T-maze test allows to evaluate memory deficit (reduction in the number of alternation) useful as model for screening compounds with cognitive enhancing properties. see more ...
Neuroinflammation is recognized as a critical process in different neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis. Astrocytes and microglia are key players in neuroinflammation since they release wide variety of proinflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide, cytokines and chemokines.see more ...
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Resveratrol and dexamethasone inhibit in dose-dependent manner
the NO release by LPS-activated cocultures. -
Effect of resveratrol and dexamethasone on the TNF-α release
induced by LPS in mesencephalic cocultures.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system for which no curative treatment exists. Current therapies address the inflammatory and immunological components.
NEUROFIT can model MS to test your compounds and also proposes the effect of your drugs on the remyelination of lesioned nerves. see more ...
Relapsing/Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RR-MS) is the most frequent form of Multiple Sclerosis.
NEUROFIT offers a disease model for MS in the rat that mimics the remittance and disease relapse in as in MS patient. Thus, this model is useful to evaluate the effect of compounds that on the disease relapse. see more ...
MBP-EAE is the most used preclinical MS models. The onset of disease symptoms is observed after 8 days and then a transit paralysis follows. Few days later, spontaneous recovery similar to the acute remission seen in MS patients is observed. see more ...
improves the clinical score of EAE rats.
Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPC) proliferation and differentiation is one of the process which can lead to remyelination. Failure in this step often results in neurological dysfunction in multiple sclerosis. OPC proliferation assay allows to evaluate the remyelination potential of drug treatment. see more ...
As peripheral neuropathy, neuropathic pain is the result of damages of the peripheral nervous system which can originate from an injury or a disease.
Symptoms that could be observed in peripheral neuropathies are for example allodynia and hyperalgesia. see more ...
Formalin test in mice or rats is considered to better mirror clinical conditions of pain than tests that use a brief and high intensity mechanical or thermal stimulation and measure spinal-mediated reflex responses. As in the clinical setting, the pain induced by the injection of dilute formalin solution is persistent (tonic) and comprises neurogenic and inflammatory components. see more ...
Measure of the normal nociceptive thresholds upon application of painful stimuli remains the most used assay for the screening of analgesic potential of new drugs. These assays involve different types of painful stimuli such as temperature (hot plate and tail-flick tests) or mechanical stress (paw pressure). see more ...
The tail flick test is a thermal hyperalgesia test in which the tail of the animal is subjected to a heat source. Once the animal feels uncomfortable, he removes spontaneously the tail (“tail flick”). see more ...
The hot-plate test consists in a thermal pain measurement. In this test, the animal is placed on a heated-plate to measure his thermal pain reflexes which are characterized either by withdrawal of the paw or by licking. see more ...
The paw pressure test consists in applying a uniformly increasing mechanical pressure on the animal paw. This pressure induces pain leading to an escape reaction. see more ...
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease which involves a selective degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons characterized by various motor and non-motor disorders.NEUROFIT offers various cellular and animal models to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of your compounds. see more ...
Elevation of the amount of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) has reported in the urine of L-DOPA -treated Parkinson’s disease patients. Unilateral injection of 6-OHDA in the rat brain produces lesion and depletion of striatal dopamine along with significant gait disturbance similar to those of PD patients. This model is commonly used to the neuroprotective potential of new test compounds. see more ...
Catalepsy is a well-known symptom of Parkinson's disease. It is characterized by muscle rigidity and fixity of posture for a prolonged period of time (akinesia). Neuroleptic drugs such as haloperidol induces catalepsy and thus used as a model for screening of new compounds that could improve the symptom of Parkinson’s disease. see more ...
Treatment with CSC markedly reduces haloperidol-induced catalepsy.
MPP+ is the active in-vivo metabolite of MPTP causing selective degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the Parkinson’s disease (PD). Similarly to the in-vivo situation, MPP+ induces a selective death of DA neurons in primary cultures of rat mesencephalic neurons.
6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) is a neurotoxin widely used in lab animals to produce striatal dopamine depletion. Neurofit uses 6-OHDA in primary culture of mesencephalic neurons to induce selective death of dopaminergic neurons, the pathological hallmark of PD. see more ...
Compound testing addresses the ability of test compounds to inhibit MPP+ or 6-OHDA - induced cell damage in mesencephalic neuron cultures as assessed by immunostainting of tyrosine hydroxylase neurons. see more ...
Peripheral neuropathy is the result of damages of the peripheral nervous system. These troubles can be caused either by a trauma or diseases as for example diabetes. NEUROFIT proposes animal and cellular models able to evaluate the neuroprotective activity of your coumpounds. see more ...
Sciatic nerve crush is one of the most common models of peripheral nerve injury in rodents. Nerve damage results in rapid disruption of neuromuscular function which can be evidenced by electromyography measurement, gait analysis and histomorphometry of sciatic nerve fibers.
This model is used to assess the neuro-regenerative potential of test compounds. see more ...
Diabetic neuropathy can be studied in rat following streptozotocin administration which induces a rapid and persistent hyperglycaemia. As in diabetic patients, the peripheral neuropathy in this model is characterized by reduced nerve conduction and loss of sensation as a result of skin denervation.
This model is used to assess the neuroprotective potential of test compounds against diabetic neuropathy. see more ...
Similar to the clinical peripheral neuropathy in man, the degeneration of intra-epidermal nerve fibers (IENF) can be monitored and quantified in various animal models of peripheral neuropathy. see more ...
Primary sensory neurons are widely used as cellular model of peripheral neuropathies. Neurofit developed 3 different types of primary culture to assess the neurotrophic, neuroprotective or neurotoxic properties of compounds. see more ...
Primary sensory neurons are widely used as cellular model of peripheral neuropathies. see more ...
NGF increases the neuritogenesis of sensory neurons.
Cisplatin (0.5 µg/mL), Taxol (7.5 ng/mL) and Vincristine (1 ng/mL) induces cell death in embryonic sensory neurons and Schwann cells co-culture.
Primary sensory neurons are widely used as cellular model of peripheral neuropathies. see more ...
Cisplatin(2 µg/mL), Taxol (0.5 µg/mL) and Vincristine (5 ng/mL) induces cell death in embryonic sensory neurons.
Primary culture of adult neurons: Although adult neurons may behave biologically differently than embryonic neurons, they are rarely used in research because culturing neurons from adult animals is challenging and often returns poor cell yield.
see more ...
Cisplatin is widely used as an antimitotic drug for treating various cancers. However, its employment is often limited by their neurotoxicity, including peripheral neuropathy. NEUROFIT developed this model to assess the neuroprotective properties of compounds aiming to counteract chemotherapy side effects. see more ...
Neuroprotectant are usually tested in this model but other treatments could also be considered. see more ...
Cisplatin induces cell death in embryonic sensory neurons and Schwann cells co-culture. NGF at 5 ng/ml is able to protect neurons against the cisplatin damage.
Purified cultures of sensory neurons are injured by chemotherapeutic drugs. The aim of this study is to investigate the putative protective effect of tested compounds on this damage. Neuronal survival is assessed by measuring acid phosphatase activity after exposure to chemotherapy and tested compound. see more ...
Cisplatin induced cell death in sensory neurons.
At each dose of cisplatin, NGF at 5 ng/ml is able to protect neurons against the ciplatin damage.
Taxol is widely used as an antimitotic drug for treating various cancers. However, its employment is often limited by their neurotoxicity, including peripheral neuropathy. see more ...
Neurofit developed this model to assess the neuroprotective properties of compounds aiming to counteract chemotherapy side effects. see more ...
Neuroprotectant are usually tested in this model but other treatments could also be considered. see more ...
Taxol induced sensory neurons death.
NGF is able to protect sensory neurons against this injury.
Vincristine is widely used as an antimitotic drug for treating various cancers. However, its employment is often limited by their neurotoxicity, including peripheral neuropathy. NEUROFIT developed this model to assess the neuroprotective properties of compounds aiming to counteract chemotherapy side effects. see more ...
Neuroprotectant are usually tested in this model but other treatments could also be considered. see more ...
Vincristine induces cell death and destruction of neurite network in embryonic sensory neurons and Schwann cells co-culture. NGF at 5 ng/ml is able to protect neurons against the cisplatin damage.
Vincristine is widely used as an antimitotic drug for treating various cancers. However, its employment is often limited by their neurotoxicity, including peripheral neuropathy.see more ...
Vincristine induced sensory neurons death.
NGF is able to protect sensory neurons against this injury.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a widespread (prevalence 0.5–1%), chronic inflammatory disease and has several pathological features of autoimmune disease. The disease is characterized by cellular infiltration in synovial tissue, pannus formation, and both cartilage and bone erosion. RA leads to the destruction of cartilage and bone.
NEUROFIT implemented these models to test the anti-arthritic efficiency of immunomodulatory or anti-inflammatory therapy. see more ...
Pristane-induced arthritis is a preclinical model of arthritis that exhibits features of human rheumatoid arthritis such as symmetry of inflammation, chronic and relapsing course of disease, infiltration of T cells, and erosive destruction of cartilaginous peripheral joints.
NEUROFIT implemented this model to test the anti-arthritic efficiency of immunomodulatory or anti-inflammatory therapy. see more ...
Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is an experimental model sharing several clinical and pathological features with RA. CIA has been used to study the pathogenesis of RA. This model is widely used to address questions of disease pathogenesis and to validate therapeutic targets. The chief pathological features of CIA include a proliferative synovitis with infiltration of polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells, pannus formation, cartilage degradation, erosion of bone, and fibrosis. As in RA, TNFalpha and interleukin IL-1beta are expressed in the arthritic joints, and blockade of these molecules results in a reduction of disease severity. see more ...
Dexamethasone treatment (s.c., 1mg/kg, starting D14) is able to prevent this swelling.
Spasticity is a neurological disorder due to the damage in the nerve pathway (typically at the level of the brain or spinal cord). Spasticity is usually seen in individuals with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, brain or head trauma, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis...see more ...
Neurofit has implemented an efficient and cost-effective model / assay to evaluate the anti-spastic potential of drug/compound treatments. see more ...
Under a Master Services Agreement, a program can be established where you work directly with the scientist responsible for the testing as if this person was working in your own laboratory.
This will allow you to rapidly obtain access to already validated screening methods and to draw on our in-house expertise.