October 25, 2017
11 am to 12 pm ET

Sponsored by

Webinar Description:

Crohn’s disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) belong to the family of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and affect up to 0.1% of the population in developed countries. Currently, there are no curative therapies available for IBD, only treatments intended to achieve and maintain remission from active flares of inflammation. With the use of biologic therapies still on the rise, the total drug market size for IBD is currently estimated to be somewhere between $8.5-10 billion dollars annually and rising.

As the prevalence of IBD and the corresponding drug market continues to grow, there is urgency to understand the underlying pathobiology as a way to develop new drug targets and potential therapies. The use of predictive animal models that accurately replicate the human disease state and intestinal microbiome are essential to this process.

This webinar discusses several sophisticated pre-clinical animal models of IBD. Included in this discussion are both the classical, chemically-induced models, as well as more involved approaches of modeling using immunological based methods (e.g. adoptive transfer). We will discuss these models as they present in both standard rodent models as well as those models where the gut microbiome is either completely naïve (germ-free) or has been modified and/or reconstituted with known bacteria (gnotobiotic). We will also discuss novel data collection approaches that can be used to provide clinically relevant and actionable results that will directly aid in the drug development process.

Speakers:

Gregory D. Lyng, Ph.D.

Partner, Chief Operating Officer

Biomodels, LLC.

As Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Lyng is responsible for the oversight of all of Biomodels’ preclinical research programs, day-to-day management of company operations, and strategic growth of the research/business portfolio. Additionally, he works closely with Biomodels’ clients to ensure proper study design and utilization of the most appropriate and clinically relevant models of disease in which to test potential therapeutics. Dr. Lyng’s scientific expertise lies in the areas of inflammatory disease, cancer supportive care, and diseases of the central nervous system. Since joining Biomodels in 2007, and prior to his role as COO, Dr. Lyng has served in varying capacities, from Scientist to Director of Research. He has been instrumental in the expansion of the business through building client relationships as well as increasing the number and clinical translatability of the disease models offered by Biomodels. Dr. Lyng received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University at Albany School of Public Health and his B.S. in Neuroscience from St. Lawrence University.

Caitlin SL Parello, PhD.

Scientist

Biomodels, LLC.

Dr. Parello joined Biomodels in 2016 as an Associate Scientist after completing her post-doctoral studies in the Department of Pathology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Her post-doctoral work focused on identifying myelin protein-derived peptides to which human or murine HLA-DR15.01 or HLA-DR04.01 restricted T cells are reactive, with the downstream goal of developing a clinically relevant, humanized murine model of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) as a model for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Dr. Parello received her PhD from Boston University School of Medicine in 2014, where she adapted two murine models of Shiga Toxin 2- induced kidney injury, and was an NIH- funded pre-doctoral fellow and Russek award winner. Her current research interests combine her background in adaptive immunity and murine model development, and are largely related to translational microbiome research. These interests include the interaction of the microbiome and immune system, the potential dysbiosis mediating inflammatory/autoimmune disorders, determining if restoration of eubiosis can be therapeutic for such disorders, and the development of clinically relevant animal models with which to probe these exciting questions. At Biomodels, Dr. Parello has established the Germ-Free/Gnotobiotic murine isolator facility, and serves as the lead scientist on microbiome- related studies.