Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd., and VitroVo Inc. announced on June 3 that they have jointly developed an MEA system utilizing high-density CMOS-MEA with a total electrode count of approximately 237,000 and will begin provision on a trial basis. By combining Sony's advanced sensing devices, SCREEN Group's technology for measuring cellular electrical activity, and VitroVo's expertise in compound evaluation and data analysis using MEA (microelectrode array), the system realizes measurement and recording of high-density cellular activity data that was previously difficult to achieve, enabling high-precision visualization of cellular activity conditions. This aims to contribute primarily to neurological and cardiac disease research and drug discovery.
In new drug development, there is demand for improved accuracy in efficacy assessment and safety evaluation in non-clinical trials, as well as further efficiency improvements in development processes. Additionally, experimental methods are being sought as alternatives to animal testing, which is mandated before clinical trials for new drugs. In disease research, the acquisition of more precise cellular data is expected to contribute to research efforts.
The high-density MEA system newly developed by the three companies with cooperation from Tohoku Institute of Technology enables single-cell-level observation of differences between diseased and healthy cells, as well as cellular responses to compounds, based on cellular electrical activity data.
It is a measuring device that combines Sony's high-density CMOS-MEA (under development) with SCREEN Group's cellular electrical activity measurement technology to detect extracellular potential using densely arranged microelectrodes and to output the data as images. This enables users to monitor "cell firing" - a phenomenon where nerve cells generate action potentials, cause electrical excitation, release neurotransmitters, and transmit information to surrounding nerve cells. While monitoring the phenomenon, users can measure and record its reactions.
Furthermore, based on joint research between Sony and Tohoku Institute of Technology, the system is equipped with algorithms optimized by VitroVo for compound evaluation, as well as analysis applications pursuing user-friendly operability. Therefore, analysis results, for example cell firing frequency calculated from measured values such as potential and images, are promptly displayed on the monitor. These measurement and analysis capabilities enable acquisition of higher-density cellular activity data compared with conventional MEA systems, allowing users to obtain experimental results that were previously difficult to measure.
By utilizing this MEA system, it becomes possible to efficiently conduct disease phenotype research and risk assessment/efficacy evaluation of new drug candidate compounds (which have previously used experimental animals) based on high-density cellular activity data. Additionally, the ability to observe nerve cell activity is expected to enable use in new drug research and development for mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia, neurological diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer's disease, as well as basic neuroscience research.
In this trial provision, SCREEN will provide the system while VitroVo will conduct consultations on cell culture procedures and custom data analysis support. Simultaneously, VitroVo will also provide contract testing services to verify the system's effectiveness. Based on user needs obtained through trial provision, the companies will accelerate system development and market research, aiming for commercialization of MEA systems utilizing CMOS-MEA.
This article has been translated by JST with permission from The Science News Ltd. (https://sci-news.co.jp/). Unauthorized reproduction of the article and photographs is prohibited.