PURSTEM

"Utilisation of the mesenchymal stem cell receptome for rational development of uniform, serum-free culture conditions and tools for cell characterization"

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Stem cells offer a promising avenue to therapy for a wide range of complaints. However, for this potential to be realized, a consistent and plentiful supply of well-characterised stem cells is essential. There has been relatively little progress in the development of new culture technologies for the large-scale manufacture of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). There is a strong possibility that this limited ability to produce stem cells will result in delays to the translation of new therapies to the clinic. This will have a direct negative effect on the health of European citizens suffering from diseases untreatable by conventional medical technology and delay European efforts to promote “NanoMedicine - Nanotechnology for Health”. PurStem will progress the state of the art in the production of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in large quantities. The current state of the art has several weaknesses - there are no standards for characterisation, isolation or identification of MSCs from any tissue, nor are there standard protocols for differentiation of MSCs to various lineages. Additionally, surface markers used for MSC characterization lack specificity and cryopreservation protocols are not standardized. Critically, current production methods for MSC require the use of animal products with major contaminant implications. PurStem will • Identify the MSC “receptome” and • Use this repertoire of growth factor receptors to • Develop novel serum-free media for MSC production. PurStem will also result in novel antibody reagents for specific MSC characterization and contribute to GMP manufacturing standards to enable rapid progression to production of serum-free MSC for clinical applications. The impact on a range of therapeutic and research domains of having a reliable supply of industrial levels of categorised MSCs will be significant. PurStem represents a key enabler for stem cell applications in a range of therapeutic fields.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Stem cell research is expected to lead to treatments for diseases with no current effective therapeutic options. An EU-funded project is helping to bridge the gap between stem cell supply and demand, as more therapies are approved for clinical application.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Stem cells offer a promising avenue of research that could lead to therapies for a wide range of human diseases. However, for this potential to be realised, a consistent and plentiful supply of well characterised stem cells is essential.

To date, there has been relatively little progress in the development of new culture technologies for the large-scale manufacture of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These are cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types, making them very useful to researchers.

Today, there are no standards for the characterisation, isolation or identification of MSCs from any tissue, nor are there standard protocols for their differentiation into various lineages.

The EU-funded Purstem project was set up to address these issues. Its aim was to create novel antibody reagents for specific MSC characterisation, thus enabling more rapid progress towards production of serum-free MSC for clinical applications.

Project partners say they have now generated new standard operating procedures for the isolation and growth of MSCs. They have also developed new criteria that can be used to define an MSC for current applications in tissue engineering. These will contribute to the optimisation of good manufacturing practice and banking of cells for use in clinical trials and, ultimately, as a commercial product.

Purstem research results set the stage for the development of next-generation therapies that will exploit the self-repair potential of adult stem cells. This means better treatment options and, most importantly, improved quality of life for patients. Society as a whole will also benefit in terms of a reduction of the economic burden associated with many diseases.