The startup develops three-dimensional neural micro-tissues designed for therapeutic and drug screening applications, providing a more accurate alternative to traditional cell and animal models. These micro-tissues secrete therapeutic factors to improve the understanding and treatment of Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders, ultimately reducing costs and failures in neuroscience drug development.
Funding
$12.7M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Traditional 2D cell cultures and animal models often fail to accurately replicate the complexity of the human brain, leading to high costs and failure rates in neuroscience drug development. Current models lack the heterogeneous cell populations, functional neural networks, and appropriate extracellular matrix (ECM) found in vivo. This limits their ability to predict drug efficacy and safety, and to model neurological diseases effectively.
Solution
Tessara Therapeutics offers RealBrain® 3D micro-tissue platform, advanced in vitro models of the human brain designed to accelerate neural drug discovery and regenerative medicine. These 3D models combine dense, heterogeneous neural networks with compatibility for high-throughput automation, short generation times, and high optical clarity. The RealBrain® platform enables researchers to study normal and disease states, including Alzheimer's Disease and traumatic brain injury, with greater predictive insight. Tessara is also exploring the potential of RealBrain® micro-tissues for use as a tissue replacement therapy for neurological disease, with the goal of creating functional, reproducible, and quantifiable implants.
Target Audience
The primary customers are pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and academic researchers involved in neural drug discovery, toxicology studies, and regenerative medicine.
Features
- RealBrain® Matrix: A chemically defined matrix that mimics the biological cues of CNS tissue, encouraging stem cell differentiation and secretion of natural ECM.
- High-throughput manufacturing: RealBrain® micro-tissues are produced in an automated process offering high scalability and reproducibility in 96 and 384-well plate formats.
- Functional neural networks: Mature micro-tissues present extensive neuronal networks and a heterogeneous mix of neuronal cell-types that mimic in-vivo neural tissue.
- Range of neural functionality: Demonstrates synaptic maturity, responsiveness to neurotransmitters, and voltage-gated ion channels.
- RealBrain® Analytics: Combines physiological relevance with data science and advanced analytical methods based on image or biochemical endpoints.
- Four advanced models under development: ARTIBrain™ (normal human brain tissue), ADBrain™ (Alzheimer's Disease), TBIBrain™ (traumatic brain injury), and DEVBrain™ (developmental processes of the human brain).
- TTX-001: An off-the-shelf, dopamine-replacement therapy for patients living with Parkinson’s Disease.