BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN
NAME:PhD defence M.V. Pozo Garcia
METHOD:PUBLISH
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART:20260417T114500
DTEND:20260417T131500
DTSTAMP:20260417T114500
UID:2026/phd-defence-m-v-pozo-garc@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573
CREATED:20260418T230311
LOCATION:Hoofdgebouw, Aula De Boelelaan
1105 1081 HV Amsterdam
SUMMARY:PhD defence M.V. Pozo Garcia
X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html: From Spectra to Pathway
s: Assessing Metabolic Function and Nutrient Modulation of Liver In V
itro Systems by LC-MS metabolomics
New step in drug r
esearch: improved insight into liver function thanks to advanced anal
ytical technique
Biochemist Victoria Pozo Garcia has
made a significant advance in improving in vitro laboratory models of
the liver. Using an advanced technique- liquid chromatography couple
d with mass spectrometry (LC-MS)- she was able to map more precisely
how these models process drugs and how their metabolism functions.
Her research shows that these so-called in vitro liver systems ca
n be evaluated more effectively by looking not only at individual enz
ymatic reactions, but at entire metabolic pathways. By applying LC-MS
metabolomics, Pozo Garcia also identified which nutrients in the cul
ture medium influence the maturation of liver cells in the lab. This
is crucial, as better-developed liver models can make more reliable p
redictions about the efficacy and safety of new drugs.
Personalized medicine
A notable outcome is the combinatio
n of stem cell technology with this analytical method. This makes it
possible to model hepatic responses based on individual donors. In tu
rn, this opens the door to personalized medicine: researchers can pre
dict, for each individual, how drugs are metabolized and whether pote
ntially harmful byproducts are formed. It also becomes easier to dete
ct disruptions in metabolism, for example due to disease or exposure
to xenobiotic substances.
More reliable laboratory models can m
ake the drug development process safer and more efficient. In additio
n, the use of animal testing could be reduced over time as better alt
ernatives become available. Although animal models are still needed f
or now, these findings mark a clear step toward more ethical and pati
ent-centered drug development.
More information on the thes
is
DESCRIPTION: New step in drug research: improved insight i
nto liver function thanks to advanced analytical technique Biochemist Victoria Pozo Garcia has made a significant advance in
improving in vitro laboratory models of the liver. Using an advanced
technique- liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-
MS)- she was able to map more precisely how these models process drug
s and how their metabolism functions. Her research shows that these s
o-called in vitro liver systems can be evaluated more effectively by
looking not only at individual enzymatic reactions, but at entire met
abolic pathways. By applying LC-MS metabolomics, Pozo Garcia also ide
ntified which nutrients in the culture medium influence the maturatio
n of liver cells in the lab. This is crucial, as better-developed liv
er models can make more reliable predictions about the efficacy and s
afety of new drugs. Personalized medicine
A notab
le outcome is the combination of stem cell technology with this analy
tical method. This makes it possible to model hepatic responses based
on individual donors. In turn, this opens the door to personalized m
edicine: researchers can predict, for each individual, how drugs are
metabolized and whether potentially harmful byproducts are formed. It
also becomes easier to detect disruptions in metabolism, for example
due to disease or exposure to xenobiotic substances. More reliable l
aboratory models can make the drug development process safer and more
efficient. In addition, the use of animal testing could be reduced o
ver time as better alternatives become available. Although animal mod
els are still needed for now, these findings mark a clear step toward
more ethical and patient-centered drug development. More information
on the thesis From Spectra to Pathways: Assessing Metabolic
Function and Nutrient Modulation of Liver In Vitro Systems by LC-MS m
etabolomics
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