Rare Disease Research With Scientist and Biopta
Maria Thompson
on
December 5, 2012
A big reason why scientists choose to do research is the desire to ultimately improve human health outcomes. Whether exploring how an enzyme interacts in a cell or the compound synthesis of a drug, scientists are building global knowledge and providing the framework for new treatments for diseases. Our Rare Disease Science Challenge provides the opportunity for researchers or families looking to further rare disease to work with service experts from many different areas. Scientist wants to help rare disease researchers find the service they need – either from a donor to the competition or vendor elsewhere in the world.
Contract research organizations can offer extremely valuable services for rare disease, such as Biopta’s donation of human tissue research. As one of the twenty donors seeking to help make their mark on research, Biopta wants to give researchers access to human tissue and functional assays that can be used from them.
We believe that tests in human tissue can be valuable, by modelling responses to the test drug in tissues from those without the disease, mechanisms of action can be investigated and safety can be assessed.1
Of the assays available through the challenge, researchers can run assays simulating vascular contractility, mucosal secretion, or bronchial epithelium. Biopta will be providing standard human tissue, but can work with donated rare disease tissue if possible, which would generate a more meaningful result.
It is possible to source tissues from patients rare diseases with the help of partners such as the National Disease Research Initiative and International Institute for the Advancement of Medicine; Biopta has a long history of working with these and other esteemed organizations which have a track in supporting ethically donated rare disease tissue specimens.1
Whether it is working with Biopta, another service donor, or any other company found through Scientist, there are tons of CROs that would love the opportunity to work with rare disease researchers.