UKTI Feature: UK consolidates stem cell network

It will take time to translate the promise of stem cells into registered therapies.

But to pave the way for the future development of therapies, UK companies are starting to apply stem cells first to advanced medical devices and drug discovery.

Two UK companies have already agreed deals to use their stem cell lines for pioneering medical devices.

Prototype lung

NovaThera Ltd of Cambridge has a €2 million collaboration with Novalung of Germany to build a prototype artificial lung that uses stem cell-derived lung cells to boost gas exchange, with the aim of making Novalung's portable device smaller and more efficient.

Dr Anne Bishop of Imperial College, London, who developed the lung cells said, “This is an important first step towards deriving a real clinical advance from the stem cell research.”

Our immortalised cell lines and stem cells can now be produced at scale and in the right format for the industry.

Hugh Ilyine

Vice president of operations

Stem Cell Sciences, Edinburgh

Another company, Axordia, is working on applying one of its stem cell lines in a next-generation stent for use in cardiac bypass surgery.

Dr V. Paul Gerskowitch, Axordia’s chief executive officer, says the use of stem cells in stents “will provide a new paradigm in [the] treatment [of cardiovascular disease]”.

Drug discovery advances

While the market for stem cell therapies is still some ten to 15 years away, UK stem cell companies are building value chains for using their cell lines in drug discovery.

Hugh Ilyine, vice president of operations at Stem Cell Sciences in Edinburgh, says, “Our immortalised cell lines and stem cells can now be produced at scale and in the right format for the industry…[our cells] are useful for toxicology and screening.”

For example, the company has licensed its mouse neural stem cell technology, supplied from its newly opened facility in Cambridge, to pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. Inc for research use.

Similarly, ReNeuron, of Guildford, has partnered with Millipore of Billerica, Massachusetts to sell its ReNcell neural stem cells for use in the discovery of central-nervous-system drugs.

Milestone in mass production

A major breakthrough for stem cell manufacturing came when Swedish specialist Cellartis AB chose to set up an R&D facility in Dundee – a £9.5 million co-investment with the Scottish enterprise-backed technology institute ITI Life Sciences.

The new facility will develop robust and repeatable processes for developing different cell types from human embryonic stem cell precursors, and an automated process for manufacturing them.

This Centre will provide a unique environment for world-class research with stem cells.

Professor Ian Wilmut

Director

Centre for Regenerative Medicine

The programme aims to overcome some of the main problems associated with producing high volumes of quality stem cells and will be the first of its kind in the world.

Creating translational research centres

There are no short-cuts to developing stem cells into registered therapies, but the UK has carefully established all the precursors needed to fulfil this aim.

At the Centre for Regenerative Medicine, launched in Edinburgh in January 2007, experts from around the world are working towards prevention and treatment of debilitating diseases.

“This Centre will provide a unique environment for world-class research with stem cells with the aim of developing therapies for diseases which in many cases do not have any treatment at the present time,” said Professor Ian Wilmut, who is leading the centre.

Professor Wilmut gained international acclaim for his research that led to the cloning of Dolly the sheep.

UK-wide initiative

Across the UK similar translational stem cell research groups are being established, including Cambridge, Newcastle, Sheffield and London.

Backing up all this activity is the UK Stem Cell Foundation, a registered charity that aims to bridge funding gaps between pioneering research and translation to the clinic.