Leveraging our expertise in liver diseases, Ace Therapeutics aims to support drug development and preclinical research services for liver fibrosis. Our comprehensive services include the development of custom research models and the advancement of novel therapeutic discoveries, all designed to accelerate clients' R&D pipelines.
Introduction to Liver Fibrosis
Liver fibrosis, a pathological response to chronic liver injury, is marked by excessive deposition of the extracellular matrix (ECM), leading to connective tissue accumulation and progressive liver dysfunction. Common triggers of liver fibrosis include viral hepatitis, alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), autoimmune hepatitis, and toxin-induced liver injury.
Fig. 1 Examples for mechanistic concepts for liver fibrosis. (Roehlen N, et al., 2020)
We specialize in developing experimental models of liver fibrosis to support both mechanistic studies and drug development.
- In Vitro Models of Liver Fibrosis
- Primary Hepatic Stellate Cells (HSC)
- HSC Cell Lines
- iPSC-derived HSCs
- HSC Co-culture Systems
- 3D Liver Spheroids and Organoids
- Microfluidic Liver Chips
- Animal Models of Liver Fibrosis
- Chemically-induced Models
- Diet-induced Models
- Surgical Animal Models
- Transgenic Animal Models
Liver Fibrosis Drug Development Services
Drug Target Identification and Validation Services
- Transcriptomic Profiling of Liver Fibrosis Targets
Through integrated RNA sequencing and single-cell transcriptomic analysis, we screen differentially expressed genes involved in fibrogenic pathways (e.g., TGF-β, PDGF, and CTGF signaling) to identify and validate novel molecular targets for anti-fibrotic therapeutic development.
- Proteomic Characterization of Liver Fibrosis Targets
We employ high-resolution mass spectrometry to identify disease-associated protein markers (e.g., collagen deposition, α-SMA expression, and TIMP activity) and characterize critical phosphorylation modifications, enabling comprehensive validation of target engagement mechanisms and discovery of potential therapeutic candidates for liver fibrosis intervention.
Anti-Liver Fibrosis Drug Screening Services
We provide tailored drug screening solutions targeting specific molecular pathways or cellular mechanisms involved in liver fibrosis.
- High Throughput Screening (HTS)
We perform large-scale screening of diverse compound libraries against validated targets using automated microplate-based assays with sensitive detection methods to identify lead compounds and quantitatively evaluate inhibitory activity.
- AI-Powered Virtual Screening
By leveraging high-resolution crystal structures of target proteins, we employ advanced molecular docking algorithms to predict ligand-binding interactions and prioritize the most promising candidates for experimental validation, significantly improving hit rates and accelerating drug discovery.
- Functional Cell-Based Screening
Using isolated rat or human primary hepatic stellate cells activated with TGF-β, we quantitatively assess anti-fibrotic drug effects through comprehensive analysis of activation markers using validated Western blot and qPCR methodologies with optimized detection sensitivity.
Preclinical Drug Development Services in Liver Fibrosis Models
We conduct comprehensive ADMET profiling and efficacy evaluation using validated preclinical models to accelerate anti-fibrotic drug development.
- ADMET Profiling
Our integrated ADME evaluation system combines liver microsome stability assays and primary hepatocyte metabolism studies, which allow clients to characterize key pharmacokinetic parameters including CYP450-mediated metabolism profiles and elimination half-life determinations, providing critical data for lead optimization.
- Safety Evaluation
We conduct rigorous safety evaluations including cytotoxicity assessments (MTT/CCK-8 proliferation assays) and complete genotoxicity profiling (Ames test combined with micronucleus assay) to ensure comprehensive preclinical safety characterization of drug candidates.
- In Vivo Efficacy Evaluation
Through established liver fibrosis models (CCl4, bile duct ligation, and NASH diets induced liver fibrosis models), we perform efficacy evaluation combining digital quantitative histopathology, serum fibrosis biomarker panels, and mechanistic pathway analysis to fully characterize therapeutic potential.
Ace Therapeutics has a team of professionals working in the field of liver diseases. We are striving to provide custom services according to clients' experimental needs. If you would like to learn more about our research services on liver fibrosis, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Reference
- Roehlen, N.; et al. Liver Fibrosis: Mechanistic Concepts and Therapeutic Perspectives. Cells. 2020, 9(4):875.
Related Services
Our products and services are for research use only and can not be used for diagnostic or other purposes.
