In this podcast, Quin Wills from Ochre Bio discusses using AI to unlock the potential of complex human liver data. They are building components of the liver from scratch to study metabolic, cell death, inflammation, fibrosis, and neoplastic processes. The aim is to conduct 'clinical trials' before actual clinical trials, with a focus on enhancing success rates with modalities like SIRNA and addressing urgent global liver disease concerns.
OkraBio focuses on 'bottom up' human liver models to study metabolic processes in liver diseases.
OkraBio utilizes AI to enhance scalability and complexity of human liver models for innovative discoveries.
Deep dives
OkraBio's Approach to Liver Disease Research and Development
OkraBio aims to improve three crucial aspects in chronic liver disease research: discovery, validation, and clinical trials. By leveraging advanced genetic sequencing and imaging technologies, the company generates comprehensive datasets to drive discovery. Furthermore, OkraBio focuses on human-specific validation methods, from primary human cells to whole organ testing, ensuring rigorous research standards. The company's emphasis on high success modalities like SIRNA showcases a forward-looking approach to enhancing clinical trial efficiency.
Addressing the Neglect of Liver Disease and its Global Impact
Quinn emphasizes the urgency in addressing liver disease, which is often underestimated in medical training. Liver disease is a significant global health concern, ranking among the leading causes of death in countries like the US and Europe. With millions affected by cirrhosis and related complications, including liver cancer and transplant challenges, there is a critical need to advance research and therapeutic interventions in this field.
Utilizing AI for Scalable and Complex Human Liver Research Models
OkraBio strategically employs AI to enhance research scalability and complexity in human liver models. The company's unique approach involves using AI to achieve scale without compromising the intricacies of human disease models. By integrating adaptive trial concepts and human-AI collaboration, OkraBio empowers scientists to navigate complex data and drive innovative discoveries, emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between technology and human expertise.
In the In Conversation Withseries, a part of the free DDW podcast, DDW speaks with members of the drug discovery industry about their work and how it helps turn science into business.
In this episode, Megan Thomas is in conversation with Quin Wills, Co-founder and CSO of Ochre Bio, a company whose scientists are working in collaboration with AI to unlock the potential of complex human liver data. Ochre's lab in Oxford takes different types of human cells from donor livers, which they combine to build components of the liver from scratch. These ‘bottom up’ models allow them to flexibly study the metabolic, cell death, inflammation, fibrosis, and neoplastic processes that occur throughout the liver disease trajectory. They are, in effect, trying to do the clinical trial before the clinical trial.