Cyclana Bio Redefines Endometriosis Research with Tissue-Level Approach, Secures £5M Seed Funding
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A new £5 million pre-seed investment is fueling Cyclana Bio’s groundbreaking work to revolutionize endometriosis treatment by shifting the focus of drug discovery to the tissue level, a strategy the company believes will unlock more effective therapies for the debilitating condition.
Cyclana Bio aims to “redefine how therapies are developed” by studying disease at the tissue level, but what does that actually entail? According to the company, the key lies in replicating the complex physiological surroundings of tissues in laboratory models. “The environment in which you perform your cellular assays matters,” a company representative explained. “the ideal assay is done in an environment that wholly recapitulates the physiology of the tissue environment.”
This approach is especially crucial for diseases like endometriosis, which are heavily influenced by fibrosis – the excessive buildup of connective tissue. The extracellular matrix (ECM), which constitutes up to 90% of a tissue, plays a critical role in this process. “Fibrosis is a tissue-level pathology, with highly cross-linked ECM that can be difficult to reverse,” the representative continued. “Fibrotic tissue can drive inflammation that causes or at least exacerbates many chronic diseases.”
Traditionally, drug discovery has centered on studying individual cells in isolation. Cyclana Bio is challenging this paradigm, building models that more accurately reflect the intricate interplay within tissues. “We are doing things differently at Cyclana: we are building our models to have a better faithfulness to disease physiology, leading to the ability to identify better targets to reverse disease,” they stated.
The Role of the ECM in Endometriosis
The company’s focus on the ECM stems from the work of Cyclana Bio’s CSO adn co-founder, Kevin Chalut, a physicist who observed that the physical environment profoundly impacts cell behavior. His research at the University of Cambridge demonstrated that cells respond differently even to identical chemical signals depending on the type of ECM they are embedded in. “That is because the ECM and physical environment shapes the response of cells to external signals,” a source within the company explained.
Chalut, along with CEO Dr. Léa Wenger, realized that
Pioneering Menstrual Fluid Analysis
Cyclana Bio is at the forefront of utilizing menstrual fluid as a non-invasive source of biopsy-grade tissue. “We’re vrey interested in the potential of menstrual fluid to be a non-invasive source of biopsy-grade tissue,” a researcher explained. The company believes that menstrual fluid offers a unique window into the health of the endometrium and could provide valuable insights into the disease process. This innovative approach also allows women to actively participate in research,contributing to advancements in a field where they have often felt neglected.
early Diagnosis and Treatment Potential
The company’s tissue-level discoveries hold promise not only for developing new treatments but also for earlier diagnosis. by investigating the tissue shed in menstrual fluid, Cyclana Bio hopes to identify biomarkers that can detect endometriosis at an earlier stage. “we believe that with this method and platform, along with the discoveries we make about the mechanisms of the disease, it is possible that indicators of the disease will emerge earlier and with higher confidence than current biomarkers being studied,” a company official stated.
Accelerating Research with New Funding
The recent £5 million pre-seed funding round will be instrumental in accelerating Cyclana Bio’s research and platform development. The investment will be used to expand the company’s data collection and model-building capabilities, as well as to develop and test potential therapeutic candidates. “This investment will help grow both our data collection and model building arms, so that we can get to true human-level signatures of the disease, replicated in our 3D endometrial disease models,” a company representative confirmed. Cyclana Bio believes that its agile, translational focus positions it well to address the critical unmet needs in women’s health.
