THE PROBLEM
Diseases of the brain and the mind affect a huge part of the world population, causing roughly €800 billion in healthcare costs in Europe alone every year. Developing new drugs targeting the central nervous system (CNS), including the brain, takes decades and is highly expensive. CNS drugs often fail late in clinical trials, which leads to increasing loss of time and money.
Our SOLUTION
Our standarized analysis pipeline evaluates complex human brain cell function with an AI supported software to spot opportunities and failures early on. Our customers get key insights into whether a compound will succeed or fail before human clinical trials even begin. This results in a vast reduction in time and cost invested in clinical trials and less harm for recruited patients.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Our AI supported automated analysis platform can reliably predict toxicity, validate target effects on synapses and neurons, and identify off-target effects on astrocytes, all using calcium imaging:
With state-of-the-art cultures of human brain cells – neurons and astrocytes – derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs), we aim to facilitate translation from a complex human in vitro model system into complex real-life human patients.
Why calcium imaging?
Calcium is a potent indicator of cell activation. We use a highly standardized approach to measure function from calcium imaging data. Our integrated digital analysis platform is AI supported, fully automated, and highly sensitive, enabling it to capture changes in multiple functional parameters after drug treatment.
OUR TEAM
Together with Dr. Camin Dean, head of the Synaptic Dysfunction group at Charité/DZNE Berlin, our core team – Jeremy Krohn, Larissa Breuer, and JC Begley – has more than 20 years of experience in neuroscience research specializing in functional assays and image analysis.
JEREMY KROHN
Project lead, Scientific lead: Astrocytes
CAMIN DEAN
Senior Research Expert
JC BEGLEY
Scientific lead:
Synapse & Neurons
LARISSA BREUER
Scientific lead: Human IPSC derived Cultures
We envision a world where CNS patients have treatment options that are effective, plentiful, and well-tolerated
Roadmap
We are looking for:
INDUSTRY PARTNERS
from biotech or pharma
to perform pilot studies
ACADEMIC PARTNERS
For collaboration and
validation studies
TEAM MEMBERS
Software developer with knowledge in machine learning
Business expert
CONTACT
Jeremy Krohn
Jeremy.Krohn@charite.de
Team CalciQuant, AG Camin Dean
Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin
