Neuroscience Disease Models

Accelerate Discovery with In Vitro and Ex Vivo Neuroscience Disease Models

Advance neuroscience drug discovery with disease-relevant in vitro and ex vivo models designed to characterize target biology, therapeutic activity, functional response, and CNS drug safety.

WuXi Biology and Testing combines target-based and cellular assays with primary neuronal and glial cultures, ex vivo brain tissue models, human iPSC-derived systems, and human brain organoids to support mechanistic and translational studies. From early screening and SAR through functional validation, our neuroscience platform provides complementary biochemical, molecular, cellular, and electrophysiological readouts to help characterize therapeutic effects in CNS- and PNS-relevant systems.

Neuronal and Glial Cell-Based Models

Neuronal and glial cell-based models enable the evaluation of therapeutic activity and disease-relevant phenotypes in physiologically relevant neural systems. Using primary neurons, glial cells, and established neuronal cell lines, these assays support investigations into neuroprotection, neuroinflammation, neuronal function, and mechanisms of action across neuroscience drug discovery programs.

Capabilities include:

Primary cortical and hippocampal neurons
DRG neurons and motor neurons
Astrocytes and microglia
Neuronal cell lines
Neuron-glia culture systems
Neuroprotection and neurotoxicity models
Neurite outgrowth assays
Neuroinflammation models
Disease-relevant cellular challenges such as Aβ, glutamate, OGD and LPS

Human iPSC-Based Neuroscience Models

Human iPSC-derived neuronal and glial models and human brain organoids provide human-relevant systems for investigating disease biology, therapeutic mechanisms, and functional responses in neuroscience research.

Capabilities include:

iPSC reprogramming and differentiation
hiPSC-derived neurons
hiPSC-derived glial cells
Neuron-glia cultures
3D culture systems
Human brain organoids
Disease modeling
Compound screening
Mechanistic and functional studies

Electrophysiology and Neuronal Function

Electrophysiological assays characterize compound effects on ion channels, neuronal excitability, synaptic activity, and network function across recombinant and disease-relevant neuronal systems.

Capabilities include:

Manual patch clamp
Automated patch clamp
Multi-electrode array (MEA)
Neuronal firing and network activity
Network bursting, connectivity, and synchrony
Ion channel functional characterization

Pharmacological, Molecular and Biochemical Assays

Complementary pharmacological, molecular, and biochemical assays characterize target activity, cellular responses, and mechanisms of action to support screening, profiling, and candidate characterization.

Capabilities include:

GPCR functional and binding assays
Ion channel assays
Transporter uptake assays
Enzyme activity assays
Cell viability and apoptosis
Inflammatory gene-expression analysis
Aβ aggregation and oligomerization assays
Target deconvolution and mechanism-of-action studies

Ex Vivo Neuroscience Models

Ex vivo neural tissue models preserve native tissue architecture, cellular interactions, and functional connectivity, providing a bridge between cellular assays and in vivo neuroscience studies.

Capabilities include:

Acute brain-slice preparations
Organotypic brain slice cultures
Brain-slice patch-clamp electrophysiology
Assessment of neuronal and synaptic function
Pharmacological evaluation in neural tissue
Tissue-based molecular and biomarker analysis

Histological and Morphological Studies

Histological, imaging, and morphological studies provide complementary readouts to characterize neuronal and glial phenotypes, tissue responses, and pharmacodynamic effects.

Capabilities include: