Neural organoids model the human brain but face necrotic cores due to size and lack of vasculature. To overcome this, Dr. András Lakatos (CSO) co-developed the ALI-CO system, boosting viability and neural tract outgrowth. Replicam uses ALI-COs as “brain” units on the OPTIMA platform, creating large-scale, multilayer models with improved functionality and in vivo-like hierarchies.

Patient-derived ALI-COs offer powerful models for studying untreatable brain diseases and early pathology, overcoming the challenge of inaccessible patient brain tissue. Led by Dr. András Lakatos, this work revealed insights into fatal neurodegenerative conditions. Our Brain-OPTIMA platform builds on this expertise for disease modeling and drug screening, advancing personalized medicine.

Biomanufacturing is reshaping biomedical science and healthcare. Prof. Shery Huang (CTO) pioneered low-cost, multifunctional 3D printing automations, enabling adaptable fabrication of multi-compartmental cancer models for immunotherapy screening. This expertise underpins OPTIMA’s sustainable biofabrication and its potential in future drug discovery and screening.

Widespread adoption of complex in vitro models requires reliable cryopreservation. We highlight key challenges in preserving organ-on-chip and organoid systems, whose structural complexity demands new engineering solutions. To address this, we developed the OPTIMA system, designed for large tissue models and seamless cold-chain logistics, enabling standardized storage and global distribution.

Vasculature plays a key role in brain physiology and pathology. Led by Prof. Shery Huang (CTO), researchers created a brain perivascular niche-on-a-chip with patient cells and brain microvascular endothelial cells. The platform sustained viable microvessels, preserved junctions, and enabled live imaging. Replicam is extending this in Brain-OPTIMA to integrate neurovascular units for drug studies.

Microfluidic microvessel-on-chip systems are useful tools for in vitro studies. Led by Prof. Shery Huang (CTO), researchers created rounded vessels embedded in extracellular matrix, enabling live-cell imaging and 3D tracking. This expertise can help build vascularized Brain-OPTIMA to study disease cell invasion and drug kinetics in real time.