BioFocus will use this technology to screen ALS drug compounds.
California Stem Cell will supply BioFocus DPI with Motorplate™ 96 assay-ready well plates, containing motor neuron progenitors derived from human embryonic stem cells.
BioFocus DPI will use the high-purity, clinical-grade human motor neurons to perform assay development and screening for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) drug discovery. The ALS Association’s TREAT ALS (Translational Research Advancing Therapy for ALS) program is funding this collaborative research project as part of its global initiative to speed the discovery of new drugs and therapies for ALS.
“BioFocus DPI chose to source human motor neurons from CSC, because its multi-well plate format enables us to develop specialized high-throughput assays not previously possible,” remarks Katherine Hilyard, Ph.D., vp of biological sciences, BioFocus DPI. “This is the first source of high-purity human motor neurons available for use in high-content screening assays.”
