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.

Brain Shuttle

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a highly selective membrane system that prevents unwanted passage of molecules into the brain extracellular fluid. Consequently, the BBB also significantly hinders the effectiveness of drugs used to treat a number of neurological disorders. Roche has engineered a protein module that can greatly enhance the passage of therapeutic agents across the blood-brain barrier. This 3D medical animation depicts the mechanism by which the “Brain Shuttle” module operates.

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.

Protac Platform

The biopharmaceutical company Arvinas Inc. has taken a unique approach to develop investigational therapies for hard-to-treat diseases, including cancers. XVIVO, in collaboration with Wyant Simboli and their client, Arvinas Inc., helped communicate the unconventional mechanism of action for a new class of drugs that engage the body’s own protein disposal system to target cancers and other difficult-to-treat diseases.

Arvinas’ approach is to tag a protein implicated in a disease with their proprietary Proteolysis-Targeting Chimera, or PROTAC. PROTACs are small molecules that can be tailored to tag particular proteins. The PROTAC also binds to a naturally-occurring protein that ultimately results in the disease protein being degraded by the body’s natural disposal system.

The XVIVO animation showcased the multiple steps in the natural pathway for protein degradation and the tunable structure of the PROTAC molecule. The animation gave Arvinas a crucial tool to accurately and succinctly illustrate the PROTAC mechanism of action. Learn more about this animation in our blog, Illustrating the Unconventional: PROTAC Technology for Disease Therapy

Medtronic Sacral Neuromodulation

Medtronic Sacral Neuromodulation is a treatment option for patients with overactive bladder (OAB). This 3D medical animation shows dysfunction to the neurological pathway that is believed to contribute to urinary control. The InterStim system provides a minimally-invasive option to modulate electrical activity between the muscles responsible for urination and the brain. Using this system, patients may find relief from OAB without the need for physical treatment of the bladder and sphincter muscles.

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.”

Somatic Cell Genome Editing

What if a disease could be treated by diving into a cell to edit the DNA causing the disease? That may be a reality in the not-too-distant future for many diseases thanks to a new program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The Somatic Cell Genome Editing (SCGE) program aims to make that happen. The SCGE program was launched by the NIH in January 2018 to develop quality tools and perform safe and effective genome editing in human patients.

Colleagues at SCGE looked to XVIVO to help communicate the nuances of genetic editing of somatic cells to a broad audience – from the general public to lawmakers to researchers looking for NIH funding. XVIVO approached this project by using detailed and scientifically-accurate visuals to show the possible mechanisms of somatic cell genome editing that describes the process in more general terms.

The team at XVIVO was delighted to continue our collaboration with NIH on this video, and to help the public and researchers become more aware of the gene editing resources available at NIH.

Sb-030: A Novel Matrix Regulator

XVIVO partnered with Symic Bio to develop an animation that demonstrates the potential efficacy of their molecule, SB-030.

SB-030 is a novel matrix regulating molecule that alters the pathological response to endothelial injury on the vessel wall.

SB-030 is delivered to the vessel during a vascular procedure and binds to any exposed matrix, inhibiting platelet response to any injury.

Because SB-030 is bound to the site of damage, platelets no longer recognize the injury and do not bind or become activated. This allows healing with reduced complications.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

Dr. Parth Shah, the Director of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at the Thoracic Outlet Center at Hartford Healthcare’s Heart and Vascular institute asked XVIVO to create an animation of a surgery he performs to relieve a condition called thoracic outlet syndrome, or TOS. A very realistic style of animation was chosen to accurately portray what occurs during the surgery. The animation contains very detailed visuals and voice over to inform patients and families about the procedure, and which could also serve as educational material on TOS surgery for surgeons-in-training.