Grenoble, France, 16th July 2015 - CYTOO, a biotechnology company specialized in the development of physiologically-relevant high content cellular assays, announces today the commercial launch of MyoScreenФ™, a new screening platform for the identification of novel active molecules that can be used to treat musculoskeletal and neuromuscular disorders.

CYTOO, the first in the world to model a human muscle in vitro

By combining the technology of adhesive micropatterns with muscle cells isolated from human donors, CYTOO has created the first in vitro model of mature human muscle. MyoScreenФ™ is a high throughput and high content screening platform that enables the identification and characterization of new compounds that effect muscle hypertrophy, contractility, metabolism and muscular diseases. The system thus meets the broad requirements of the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and animal health industries aiming ultimately to discover new active ingredients.

Muscle is one of the last organs remaining to be modeled in vitro and to date, no drug or potential drug candidate has ever been identified using a human muscle model. The human body has more than 600 muscles that provide the power for us to stand and move around. Muscle is an essential tissue affected by numerous factors such as loss of muscle mass associated with ageing (sarcopenia) or certain medications (cachexia) while neuromuscular diseases such as myopathies (Duchenne muscular dystrophy), muscle weakness (myasthenia), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy directly impact an individual’s motor abilities.

« With MyoScreenФ™, CYTOO has achieved a major milestone including the first physiological muscle model showing striated myotube fibers in vitro. We are the only ones on the market to propose cell analysis and high content screening (HCS) using muscle » rejoices Pauline Poydenot, Directress R&D at CYTOO.

 « MyoScreenФ™ is primarily designed to screen bioactives on behalf of third parties at CYTOO but can also be transferred to our clients. In addition, we have started to exploit this unique tool for our own benefit with the initiation of 2 internal drug discovery programs: one for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and the other for the prevention of muscle wasting. This will further enhance the scientific advances of our scientists » specifies Luc Selig, CEO of CYTOO.

MyoScreenФ™ was developed thanks to the support of BPIFrance as part of the project ETICS.