We initiated an R&D programme to develop novel technologies and automated processes to produce high quality human stem cells as tools for pharmaceutical research.
The Stem Cell Technologies (SCT) programme aims to overcome two key technical hurdles that are essential before stem cells can be used extensively for drug discovery and later for cell therapies to:
- Control the way in which a stem cell differentiates into another cell type, for example a liver cell or a heart cell
- Develop a robust process for producing large numbers of stable differentiated cells.
We have committed £9.9 million to the three-year programme, which will be conducted by an industry-academia collaboration initially comprising:
- University of Glasgow (Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences)
- University of Dundee
- Heriot Watt University
- Cellartis
As part of the programme, Cellartis is setting up an R&D and manufacturing facility in Dundee.
The SCT programme is focused on human embryonic stem (hES) cells, or pluripotent stem cells, i.e. cells that have the capability to become any of the cell types found in a developed organism. While these cells are recognised as having enormous potential for regenerative cell therapies, we believe that in the nearer term, stem cells would more substantially impact drug discovery and preclinical research. This is because of their potential for use as a platform technology in target identification and validation, toxicity screening, and the generation of biologically relevant disease models. It is anticipated that being able to test drug candidates designed for treating e.g. heart diseases in human heart cells, will yield more and better quality information than is possible in other cell-based or animal models.
Key objectives
- To identify early biological markers of pluripotentiality in cells
- To chemically manipulate these early stem cells to both promote and inhibit differentiation in a more time-efficient manner.
This systematic improvement of the quantity and quality of hES cell lines should generate cell lines that can be used in mid high throughput screening campaigns. This will then feed into the second phase of the programme, which is a larger-scale screening programme for new compounds.
The near/mid term aims of this programme is the provision of qualified hES cells in sufficient quantity for high-throughput screening in drug discovery and development, and to enable scale-up to facilitate commercial and clinical exploitation.
About Human Embryonic stem (hES) cells
hES cells are isolated from mammalian embryos during the very early stages of development, for example from embryos 5-6 days old. At this early stage,the embryo is a hollow ball of cells the size of a pinhead, called a blastocyst. hES cells are referred to as pluripotent, which means they can potentially go on to produce all the highly specialised cells needed to produce an adult organism.
The starting point of the programme will be pre-existing hES cell lines, meaning that no new hES cells will need to be collected. These cell lines have been generated by Cellartis under strict regulatory control. Such lines are fully approved for laboratory experimentation. hES cells offer significant advantages over adult stem cells, which are predetermined to give rise to specific cell types when they differentiate.
This means that adult stem cells only have the potential to make a limited range of cell types in the body - a stem cell isolated from liver is predisposed to differentiate only into types of liver cell.
Commercial opportunity
There are a number of commercial opportunities, both present and anticipated later in the programme. These are listed below and are, or will be available for licensing.
Cell culture media
Tried and tested hES cell culture media eliminating the requirement for time consuming production of a feeder-layer of cells. This minimises culture complexity and allows the generation of human ES cell specific assays without the potential of interference of the feeder layer.
hES cell lines
- Undifferentiated cells
- Progenitor cells
- Fully differentiated cells
Fully pluripotent, quality assured hES cells produced at scale in a format of your choice. Plan your screening activities with the confidence of a guaranteed continuity of supply. A range of progenitor cells, differentiated under controlled conditions and able to further differentiate towards a chosen cell type.
Media additives
- Anti-differentiation agents
- Growth factor replacements
- Differentiation factors
Currently, we have novel and proprietary small molecules that actively prevent hES cell differentiation, thus facilitating expansion of hES cell cultures. Further output from the programme will deliver small molecules that modulate the major signalling pathways controlling hES cell function.
Drug candidates
- Therapeutic intervention in degenerative disease
The potential to utilise the programme assets in investigations into the in-vivo action of drug candidates on cell regeneration.
Bioprocess
Cell production and automation
Fully automated and robust capability in the large scale production of hES cells available as a cell supply agreement or through supported technology transfer of the capability.
The next step
If you are interested in exploring any of these exciting opportunities further, from either a research or commercialisation perspective, please contact us
Programme partners
Cellartis AB
Cellartis AB is a world leader in research, development and manufacture of human embryonic stem (hES) cells and specialised functional cells derived from these cell lines. The company is the world’s largest single source of defined hES cell lines, with more than 30 stem cell lines available for research. The company was founded in 2001 and has the headquarters in state-of-the-art premises in Gothenburg, Sweden and now a production facility in Dundee, Scotland.
University of Glasgow
The Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences (FBLS) and The Faculty of Medicine are internationally recognised centres for research and teaching in the medical sciences. With 140 academic staff, 120 contract workers and nearly 250 postgraduate students, FBLS is one of the major centres for biological research in Europe. The Faculty of Medicine is one of the most prestigious in the UK, renowned for its pioneering teaching methods and superb facilities. As a result their graduates are highly sought after in the medical professions in the UK and abroad.
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee has powered its way to an internationally recognised position of excellence in life sciences and medical research with particular expertise in cancer, diabetes and tropical diseases. The University has both a 5 star rated medical school and School of Life Sciences, with research expanding from 'the cell to the clinic to the community'.
Heriot Watt University
Heriot Watt is one of the UK’s leading universities for business and industry and has a reputation for innovative education, enterprise and leading edge research in science, business, engineering and design. The eighth oldest higher education institution in the UK, it is often referred to as Scotland’s International University, with campuses in Scotland and Dubai as well as around 10,000 students from 150 countries worldwide studying on Heriot-Watt international programmes.