Scientific and Medical Animation services

A Focus On ALK-positive Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

In partnership with Wedgewood Communications, XVIVO developed two videos for Takeda Oncology to discuss lung cancer mechanism of disease and treatments.

This animation takes an extensive and detailed look at the sub-populations of patients who have non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which affects about 198,000 new patients in the United States each year. The animation discussed the variety of possible mutations seen in lung cancer, with a focus on NSCLCs with an ALK mutation. With so many acronyms to be used in the animation, we were challenged to clearly present the lung cancer types and the possible genetic mutations found in the tumor cells.

Learn more about this animation in our blog, Demystifying the Lung Cancer Alphabet Soup.

CONDUIT™ Interbody Platform

XVIVO and DePuy Synthes (a Johnson & Johnson company) recently partnered on an animation of their CONDUIT™ Interbody medical devices to help healthcare providers understand the level of engineering and detail that is embedded in the devices, with the goal of optimizing efficacy. The animation is used as playback loop in a conference booth and as an asset for live presentations, with images from the animation used for print and digital enduring materials.

Learn more about this animation in our blog, CONDUIT™ Interbody Platform.

XERMELO MOA

XVIVO partnered with Lexicon Pharmaceuticals to create a series of high end medical animations that provide an overview of carcinoid syndrome diarrhea (CSD). The program illustrates how XERMELO, through the inhibition of TPH, turns down the overproduction of serotonin within neuroendocrine tumor cells, helping patients gain control over carcinoid syndrome.

While we typically represent cellular and molecular mechanisms in a realistic manner, for this program we re-envisioned cancer cells as grungy steam punk factories, peppered with smoke stacks billowing out serotonin.

Organoids

From the Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine website:

“Organoids can be made to resemble organs or tissues such as gut, kidney, pancreas, liver, breast, prostate, and even brain tissue, all complete with accurate micro-anatomy. Due to their amazing ability to self-organize into tissue structures, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have developed a way to grow organoid structures that mimic actual patients’ tumors, and allow our researchers to study how different cancers develop, change, and might respond to various drug therapies.”

Apoptosis and BCL-2

ABT-199/GDC-0199 is a small molecule drug in co-development by Abbvie and Genentech for the selective inhibition of BCL-2, a key regulator of cellular apoptosis. BCL-2, part of the larger BCL-2 family, is responsible for the sequestration of pro-apoptotic proteins along the mitochondrial membrane. Displacement of these proteins from BCL-2 in cancerous cells may prime these cells for apoptosis.

Biostage Cellframe Technology

About 456,000 new cases of esophageal cancer occur each year. In the United States alone, there are 17,000 new cases. Esophageal cancer is treated with an esophagectomy, which has a 90-day mortality rate as high as 19%. Biostage is pioneering a new technology to regenerate the patient’s native esophagus through Cellframe Technology. Two weeks before the esophagectomy, stem cells are extract and incubated with the Cellspan implant in a bioreactor. This animation shows how Cellframe Technology works to regenerate esophagus tissue and muscle through stem cells as well as the Cellspan Implant process.

Learn more about how XVIVO is a trusted partner for start-up companies in our blog, Start-up with Style: Launch your Visuals with XVIVO.

Glutamate Modulation

Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Release of glutamate is essential for normal function of neurons, but the levels of this neurotransmitter must be tightly regulated to avoid toxic effects on neurons.

XVIVO partnered with Biohaven to animate the glutamate story. The script details normal glutamate signaling, dysfunctional glutamate signaling and the mechanism of action of Biohaven’s investigational agent trigriluzole, a novel neuroprotective agent to modulate glutamate neurotransmission. Trigriluzole is expected to reduce the neurotoxicity associated with excessive glutamatergic excitation, which is implicated in many disorders involving the central nervous system.

Voxelotor An Investigational Drug for Sickle Cell Disease

In collaboration with Global Blood Therapeutics, our folks here at XVIVO created this medical animation to illustrate the mechanism of action of a potential drug candidate for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD). SCD is caused by a point mutation in the hemoglobin gene, resulting in the aggregation and polymerization of deoxygenated hemoglobin. This causes structural deformation of red blood cells into the characteristic “sickle” shape, which can lead to cellular lysis and vaso-occlusion, impairing oxygen delivery and causing a number of health effects. Voxelotor is an investigational disease-modifying drug that binds to hemoglobin and increases its affinity to oxygen, keeping it in its oxygenated state. By diluting the concentration of deoxygenated hemoglobin, mutant hemoglobin may be kept from polymerizing, thus preventing cellular sickling and its many clinical consequences.

To view a related animation click here: SB-030: A Novel Matrix Regulator.

PALOVAROTENE MOA

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, or FOP, is an extremely rare and debilitating disorder, in which bone tissue gradually replaces soft tissue throughout the body, extending the skeleton and “freezing” patients into position. FOP is an autosomal dominant disorder, and is believed to be caused by a mutation in the ACVR1 gene, which results in constitutively active BMP signaling. Clementia Pharmaceuticals is investigating Palovarotene as a RAR-gamma agonist capable of inhibiting BMP signaling, which may prevent heterotopic ossification and slow the progression of this devastating disease.