Using Microbiome insights in discovery and preclinical services
Over the past decade, research has revealed that the human microbiome (with bacteria as the most numerous members) plays an important role in human health and in the treatment of human diseases.
Even if the causality is not always established, a microbial imbalance or dysbiosis has been reported in several diseases including gastrointestinal and dermal diseases, metabolic disorders, CNS pathologies and cancer. Furthermore, the microbiome has been shown to influence the efficacy of immunotherapy and chemotherapeutic agents or to metabolize drugs.
The understanding and the evaluation of the role of the microbiome in the discovery and development of new therapeutic molecules is currently of high interest. Microbiome is clearly a key player in drug development process.
Oncodesign Services has developed translational skills and experience in this growing field to serve the evolving needs of R&D programs using microbiome insights in oncology, immuno-oncology, inflammatory diseases, infectious diseases including Covid-19, dermocosmetics and nutrition.
Non-exhaustive list of pathologies related to microbiome disorders
A wide range of distinct and diversified services around microbiome
Our facilities, environment and collaborations/networks allow Oncodesign Services to work with preclinical and clinical samples (GLP/GcLP compliant environment in bioanalysis) and to manipulate live microorganisms (BSL2, BSL3 and GMO2 compliant laboratories).
Models & Readouts in microbiome
Oncodesign Services proposes tools suitable for mimicking healthy and pathological situations, studying interplay with immune system for screening purpose and proof of concept.
- Experimental approaches
- In vitro 2D & 3D co-cultures
- SPF/SOPF, germ-free animals or with a custom microbiota
- Human biological specimen
- Immune phenotyping
- Cytokine profile
- Immune infiltrate
- Biomarkers
- Gut permeability (e.g. zonulin)
- Inflammation (e.g. calprotectin, lipocalin-2)
- Metabolites (e.g. short-chain fatty acids)
Methods & Analyses for microbiome studies
Oncodesign Services offers a broad range of technological approaches for culturing, detecting, identifying and localizing microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts, etc.) in simple or complex samples (fluids, tissues) coming from preclinical studies or clinical trials.
- Culture / Formulation
- Culture of aerobic or anaerobic bacteria and yeasts
- Preparation of single strain or consortium (with quality control of batches)
- Handling of wild type, engineered microbes or derivatives
- Formulation of frozen, lyophilized, pasteurized products
- Detection
- CFU counting
- qPCR coupled or not to PMA
- Identification
- Mass spectrometry
- qPCR/dPCR
- 16S rRNA gene sequencing
- Shotgun sequencing
- Phylopeptidomics
- Localization
- Imaging
- Ex vivo culture
Tackling the microbiome in drug discovery
Several topics of interest have emerged in microbiome research leading:
- To study the relationship between microbiome composition and the disease of interest
- To define the role of microbiome in precision diagnosis and personalized treatment
- To develop and evaluate microbiome therapeutics
- To understand the impact of a drug on microbiome and the influence of microbiome on individual’s response to a drug
Oncodesign Services has developed a comprehensive offer giving our customers access to technologic and scientific expertise, platforms and networks with the purpose to support their project i.e. to demonstrate the benefit on health, to assess safety and/or to decipher mechanism(s) of action of microbiome-based therapeutics or non-microbial drugs.
Microbiome case studies
Our multidisciplinary team designs tailor-made studies for evaluating microbiome-based therapeutics and drug-microbiome interactions.
Discover hereafter few examples of experiments conducted at Oncodesign Services:
- The extent to which treatment with chemotherapeutic agents could impact gut microbiota composition.
- Whether bacteria could rescue the efficacy of an immune checkpoint inhibitor in avatar mice.
- Would a live biotherapeutic product modulate immune responses in intestinal tissue and tumor microenvironment?
- Could induced colitis be treated with fecal microbiota transplantation?
- Could atopic dermatitis be alleviated by a single strain?
- Use of PMA-qPCR/-dPCR as a valuable method to enable quantification of live bacteria in clinical samples (feces, skin swabs).
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1- Profile of microbiome studies and axes of interest
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2- Selective colonization of a subcutaneous tumor by IV administered bacteria
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3- Gut decontamination by a cocktail of antibiotics (ATB) prior transfer of fecal material (FMT) in healthy mice
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4- Impact of a chemotherapeutic agent on gut microbiome composition in tumor-bearing mice
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5- Metabolization of a pro-drug by gut microbiota to prevent inflammation in a mouse model of colitis
Our microbiome network
Getting to the heart of Oncodesign Services ecosystem made of:
A health innovation hub as coordinator of the Microbiome Drug Metabolism Working Group (members: national and international academic groups, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, CROs and regulatory affairs).
A request for a microbiome project ?
