Blog, News and Events

1 May 2026

Testing the Efficacy of cccDNA-targeted Base Editing

Nearly 300 million people worldwide suffer from chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections.1 Chronic HBV causes inflammation and is associated with an increased risk of extensive liver damage and can progress to hepatocellular carcinoma. The traditional therapeutic approach uses antiviral therapies, such as entecavir and tenofovir; while these therapeutics suppress HBV DNA levels they need to be continued long-term as they often do not lead to functional cure. Therefore, novel therapeutics are under development as monotherapies or co-therapy options to achieve functional cure.

PXB-mouse, Blog, PXB-cells

31 March 2026

Primary Human Hepatocytes drive Advances in New Approach Methodologies

New approach methodologies (NAMs) are innovative, non-animal scientific methods used for testing chemical safety, drug development and biological research. In 2025, the FDA announced a new initiative to phase out animal testing for certain types of drug development1. This has led to renewed interest in NAMs and their role in pre-clinical drug development. NAMs include advanced in vitro models such as co-culture models, organ on a chip, 3D bioprinting and tissue models and Microphysiological systems (MPS)

Blog, PXB-cells

24 March 2026

DILI modeling using primary human hepatocytes (PXB-cells)

Hepatocytes form bile canaliculi structures which are formed through tight-junction interactions between neighboring hepatocytes. This interconnected network collects and transports bile components. Interruptions to the bile flow (slowing or stopping) causes a backup of bile and is known as cholestasis. Cholestasis can be a result of intrahepatic complications, including chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, hepatitis, infections, genetic cholestasis, as well as a result from drug-induced liver-injury (DILI).

Blog, PXB-cells

11 March 2026

Exploring the Human Lipoprotein Profile of PXB-mice and PXB-cells

Lipids are important biomolecules that contribute to homeostasis. They can act as energy reserves, are used structurally, and play an important role in metabolic processes including drug metabolism. Lipids complex with proteins resulting in a lipoprotein particle that enables the hydrophobic lipids to be transported throughout the body via the blood stream. Changes in the lipoprotein/lipid profile are associated with diseases such as metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), atherosclerosis, hypothyroidism, and cardiovascular disease as well as some genetic disorders. As such, therapeutics are being developed to target dyslipidemia.

PXB-mouse, Blog, PXB-cells

1 December 2025

Cryopreserved PXB-cells: enhance in vitro drug development with quality primary human hepatocytes

Late-stage drug failures remain a significant challenge in the clinical development process, resulting in financial losses and wasted resources. That’s why having a reliable, physiologically relevant in vitro model is crucial for building confidence in a therapeutic candidate before progressing to in vivo and clinical studies.

Blog, PXB-cells

11 September 2025

Cutting Edge Gene Editing in Primary Human Hepatocytes

Gene editing promises cures for a wide range of diseases. Zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) were developed as the first programmable editors in the early 2000s, followed by TALENs (Transcription Activator Like Effector Nucleases) about a decade later[1]. However, it was the discovery and application of easy to use CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing methods, that sparked a flurry of new activity since 2013. New gene editing methods that build on this platform continue to be a hot area of research, with the goal of developing techniques that increase specificity and circumvent the need for double-stranded breaks (DBSs) in order to reduce off-target effects and minimize safety concerns[2]. Moreover, increasing the size of sequences that can be modified, and improving editing efficiency in non-dividing cells are also areas of great interest.

Blog, PXB-cells

9 December 2024

Targeting cccDNA in Human Hepatocytes: Pathway to a Cure for HBV?

Globally, around 250 million people are infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and more than 1 million more are estimated to become infected yearly. Researching the HBV viral life cycle and identifying potential novel therapeutics is challenging as only human and chimpanzee hepatocytes are permissive to HBV. However, due to the cost and ethical restrictions, alternative models are being explored. In vivo, rodent models including humanized liver chimeric mice (for example PXB-mice) and the AAV-HBV mouse model are being utilized. While these models are useful, each has their own pitfalls.

Blog, PXB-cells