Technology Development
Technology Development
In the Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group we are acutely aware of the importance of exploiting the latest and most advanced technologies. Since 2013 we have actively pursued a new research focus on technology development as this is a key area required if we are to continue to drive forward our clinical and basic fibrosis research and achieve high-end publications, big industrial collaborations and prestigious grant awards.
Precision Cut Liver Slices (PCLS)
Tissue injury and disease progression involve complex cells interactions. Precision Cut Slices are physiologically and structurally representative of the liver architecture and therefore provide an improved system to help researchers understand disease biology and test anti-fibrotic drugs.
NFRG has developed and patented a precision cut liver slices (PCLS)technology to help understand the molecular events that occur during liver injury and fibrosis. Thanks to this technology we are able to keep human and rodent liver slices intact and active for seven days
In vivo real-time imaging of inflammation/fibrosis
Staging liver fibrosis in mice is currently achieved by histologically staining liver sections with either Sirius Red or antibodies directed against fibrillar collagen. Developing methods to minimally-invasively grade liver fibrosis could predict early response to therapeutics or help model fibrogenesis/fibrolysis in wild type and transgenic mice. Using an In Vivo Imaging System (IVIS) results in using fewer mice or help predict study end-points.
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