Poster: Fibrotic Lung Extracellular Matrix Substrates for 3D in-vitro Models of Human Pulmonary Fibrosis

Igal Germanguz†, Evelyn Aranda†, Jennifer Xiong, Natalia Kissel, Alex Nichols, Eddie Gadee, John D. O’Neill, PhD

Major obstacle to developing effective treatments for IPF is the lack of predictive IPF models. Animal models of pulmonary fibrosis present fibrosis that resolves over time rather than the progressive, non-resolving fibrotic process characteristic of IPF in humans. In-vitro IPF models have limited physiologic relevance because they fail to recapitulate the complex biochemical, structural, and mechanical environment of fibrotic human lungs, highlighting the critical need for disease-relevant in vitro substrates that enable quantitative and mechanistic studies of human IPF.

Xylyx Bio identifies and isolates the human disease environment, then develops and investigates disease-specific ECM substrates in vitro utilizing disease-relevant human cell types (e.g., pulmonary fibroblasts). Cell phenotypes are compared against diseased human IPF lung specimens prior to application in IPF disease models and anti-fibrotic drug testing.