We have pioneered the world’s first patient-centric extracellular matrix-based discovery platform to identify and validate novel targets and biomarkers, and support the discovery and development of transformative therapies for fibrosis and solid tumours.
Using our platform technology, we have the unique ability to use tissue- and disease-specific human ECM scaffolds to model and study the mechanisms driving disease biology.
Engitix’s platform is underpinned by an extensive bioarchive, one of the world’s largest ECM databases, the Engitomix proprietary bioinformatics platform, and best-in-class, human in vitro 3-D cell culture bioassays. These unique capabilities transform our ability to identify new targets and biomarkers, investigate novel mechanisms of action, and more accurately predict the efficacy of therapeutic candidates. Our platform is versatile and has been successfully adapted to support discovery efforts across a range of organs, indications, and therapeutic modalities.
To further accelerate the discovery process, we are leveraging the capabilities of Exscalate, a world leading ultra-high performance virtual screening platform that deploys the power of supercomputing, big data and AI to perform in silico drug design and testing.
BIOSPECIMENS
Access to healthy and diseased biospecimens
HUMAN ECM PLATFORM
Proprietary and patented protocols to understand human ECM composition and biology
ENGITOMIX BIOINFORMATICS
Proprietary bioinformatics software for analysis
HUMAN ECM PLATFORM
Proprietary in vitro 3D tissue specific and disease specific screening
Our powerful ECM platform for drug discovery in more detail
Proprietary and partnered biospecimens archive
We have reliable access to human biospecimens* with associated clinical information from our own biospecimens archive, as well as from our strong network of partner hospitals, biobanks and KOLs worldwide.
Using proven and patented protocols, we can isolate, preserve the integrity and utilize human extracellular matrix (ECM) from healthy and diseased tissues to generate cellular models with bioactive scaffolds and hydrogels.
(*All biospecimens are collected from consented research study participants under study protocols approved by a local REC and in accordance with local regulations.)
Proprietary human ECM platform
We use our ECM platform to perform wet lab experiments in order to understand both the composition of the healthy and diseased acellular environment as well as the biology of this microenvironment in driving disease progression.
The composition of the disease-specific acellular ECM is characterised by proteomic analysis of decellularized tissues (‘matrisome’). Deconvoluting the biological impact of the ECM is evaluated by reseeding disease-relevant cell types into those ECMs scaffolds or hydrogels. Using these bioassays to assess molecular and functional changes in the cells, we can decode the changes to the ECM relevant for the disease of interest.
Proprietary Engitomix Bioinformatics platform for data processing and target identification
We have generated one of the world’s largest human ECM dataset. We perform mass-spectrometry analysis of tissue-specific and disease-specific ECM and RNAseq of different cell types reseeded in those ECMs to fully decode composition and biology of diseased microenvironment. Those unique proprietary datasets are integrated with multidimensional omics patients’ dataset and well curated clinical data to prioritize target and biomarker prioritization by using our Engitomix platform and algorithms.
Proprietary in vitro 3D-ECM tissue-specific and disease-specific phenotypic screening
Incorporating human ECM into our bioassays recreates a disease-relevant microenvironment to allow candidate mechanisms and drugs to be tested in a highly translational context. Engitix’s proprietary bioassays allow for a range of ECM-related biological activities and processes to be evaluated. These unique capabilities will enable differentiated therapeutic strategies to be discovered and transformational therapies to be developed. This patient-centric platform and discovery strategy has the potential to accelerate discovery, improve the accuracy of predicting candidate efficacy, and reduce the risk of failing to translate in clinical trials.
Exscalate platform to accelerate structure-based drug discovery and development
Exscalate is a powerful supercomputing platform, developed by our partner Dompé, that operates at a speed of 32 PetaFLOPS to support advanced in silico methods. It facilitates the binding of one billion molecules on a target protein in one hour thereby reducing the processing time from target identification to candidate selection.
Employing Exscalate enables us to access the world’s largest digital ligand library and a virtual compound library composed of over 500 billion molecules. We can then identify chemical structures with the best complementary pattern of interactions with our biological targets, along with other phys-chem characteristics as well as novelty and synthesis feasibility.
