Nutrition
Screening and characterization of natural products affecting metabolism
Our facilities and experience at studying the effects of drugs on metabolic disorders puts us in a prime position to contribute to the discovery and development of novel foods and supplements. Indeed, the many biological models available at Metabrain can mimic how metabolic disorders appear or how compounds affect metabolism.
Our screening platform benefits from a number of cellular models that focus on the mechanism which are deregulated in metabolic disorders : lipid metabolism, hepatic glucose production, glucose uptake, ... These provide a basis for cost-effective, medium-throuput screening to assess the potential of substances from all origins, as well as study mechanisms of action.
Our drug discovery expertise is applicable to study the impact of foods, nutraceutics, or continuous access to low-doses of drugs on both healthy and diseased models. For instance, in anticipation of clinical studies, we can propose the most relevant biomarkers, cellular and animal models to obtain proofs of concept. We thus have the capacity to provide preclinical evidence as well as contribute to the clinical study design and optimization.
Metabrain can partner with the food, ingredients, nutraceutics and OTC businesses. Collaborative exploratory programs as well as short-term collaborations are possible.