Disease Models from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Now Commercially Available
BALTIMORE, Mar. 28, 2018 – Elixirgen Scientific has begun selling a variety of cell-based human disease models after signing a new agreement, which allows the company to produce and distribute cells differentiated from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)’s human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) repository.
Elixirgen Scientific's proprietary technology (Quick-Tissue™) makes highly efficient differentiation of hPSCs, such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs), possible in under 10 days, the fastest speed in the world for all cell types. Their catalog includes GABAergic neurons, dopaminergic neurons, cholinergic neurons, and skeletal muscle cells with more cell types in continuous development. The products are currently offered both as a reagent kit for researchers and companies, and as a service - customers can send in their iPSCs or ESCs, and have them returned, differentiated into the tissue type of their choice, in one week.
The CIRM hPSC repository features 1,600 cell lines derived from patients with diseases and conditions that are areas of active research, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), cardiomyopathy, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, autism spectrum disorder, hepatitis C, fatty liver disease, cerebral palsy, diabetic retinopathy, and more. The cell lines have detailed, anonymized demographic clinical data and have matched controls, making them very suitable for research into those diseases.
When applied to CIRM's hPSC bank, Elixirgen Scientific's Quick-Tissue™ differentiation technology will be able to provide relevant tissues for any of the 1,600 cell lines. This means that scientists will be able to receive a variety of in vitro differentiated cells such as neurons and skeletal muscle derived from patients with AD, autism, cerebral palsy, fatty liver disease, and other diseases - all with a one-week turnaround time. These differentiated cells are available in the form of frozen cells, live cells in a cell culture flask, live cells in microplates, and live cells on microscopic slides. Elixirgen Scientific hopes to provide researchers in academia and pharmaceutical companies around the world with much needed cell-based human disease models for drug screening, toxicity testing, and other biomedical applications, thereby accelerating discovery of a cure for many diseases.
Further information as well as an order form are now available at /products.
