AstraZeneca Challenge: A Pressure-Sensing Core for Cardiac or Vascular Microtissues

Screening compounds for undesirable effects on the heart or blood vessels is a key step in drug discovery and development, ideally performed by using predictive in vitro assays. Cardiac and vascular spheroids are a new type of assay that, despite showing great promise, are not the finished article. Hence the Seeker to this Challenge is looking for a novel approach to improve these assays. Particularly, the Seeker is interested in solutions that provide a core for the spheroids that senses and reports pressure.

This Challenge requires only a written proposal.

Drug-induced changes in the function of the heart and blood vessels are common, undesirable side-effects during drug discovery and development. Therefore, compounds that are likely to induce such changes should ideally be detected as early as possible in the process. The screening of these compounds is performed by using predictive in vitro assays. A new type of assay  with great potential is cardiac and vascular spheroids, i.e. spherical tissues fabricated by co-culturing relevant cell types that model a piece of heart or blood vessel. Despite showing great promise, these microtissues are not the finished article. In particular, it would be very useful to have an easy way of monitoring the pressure at the core of a spheroid in order to know whether the pressures are similar to those within the cardiovascular system and in order to detect compound-induced changes.

The Seeker to this Challenge is seeking a novel approach that can improve these models. Particularly, the Seeker is interested in solutions that provide a core to the spheroids that senses and reports pressure and compound-induced changes in pressure.

ABOUT THE SEEKER

AstraZeneca is a global, research-based, biopharmaceutical company with a focus on five key therapeutic areas: 1) cardiovascular & metabolic diseases, 2) oncology, 3) respiratory, inflammation & autoimmunity, 4) neuroscience, and 5) infection. As an innovation-driven, research organization, AstraZeneca recognizes that great ideas come from many sources. Open innovation is an avenue by which ideas can be shared and AstraZeneca recently launched a pavilion to further its commitment to facilitate the advancement of pharmaceutical research. 

Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (US Eastern Time) on January 5, 2015. Late submissions will not be considered.

This is a Theoretical Challenge that requires only a written proposal to be submitted. The Challenge award will be contingent upon theoretical evaluation of the proposal by the Seeker.

To receive an award, Solvers will not be required to transfer their exclusive IP rights to the Seeker. Instead, Solvers will grant to the Seeker a non-exclusive license to practice their solutions.