Scientists Celebrate Stem Cell Business Success

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Scientists Celebrate Stem Cell Business Success

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=44289

British scientists are embarking on a major international stem cell

business collaboration, which will bring them a step closer to

developing new patient therapies.

A team of stem cell researchers, based at the University of Newcastle

upon Tyne, has formed a partnership with a major American stem cell

company which is going to invest £160,000 in their work.

The team, led by Colin McGuckin, Professor of Regenerative Medicine

at the University, will use the funding to further its world-leading

research using stem cells obtained from babies' umbilical cords.

The team is working towards developing new therapies for patients

with a range of liver complaints that could be used in hospitals

within five years.

At the same time, the team is developing and testing new tools for

drug development that could be available for companies to buy in

several years time.

The funding will also pay for an additional researcher and for a

research nurse who will work with new parents at the Royal

Infirmary in Newcastle to encourage them to donate their baby's

umbilical cords to the group which is based there.

Having a good supply of cord blood is crucial for the research

programme, so the nurse will explain to the baby's parents about the

importance of contributing to the cord blood research.

The University researchers are also due to help the American company,

called BioE, to test and develop new products that aim to improve the

storage of cord blood.

Prof McGuckin's team, which is based at UK Centre for Cord Blood at

Newcastle University and which is a key part of the Institute for

Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine was the first in the

world to produce embryonic-like stem cells from cord blood.

Stem Cells have the potential to develop into any tissue type in the

body and could therefore be used to develop a wide range of medical

therapies.

Prof McGuckin said: " This partnership marks a major boost for North

East England. It fits closely with goals for a Newcastle Science City

because regional leaders are promoting active relationships between

the public sector and biotechnology industry as a key element of

this.

" Our research indicates that cord blood has an amazing capacity to

develop into a wide range of human tissues including blood, blood

vessel, liver and nervous tissues.

" This research could have a huge impact not only on treating human

disease, but also provide human tissues for drug development and

testing, removing the uncertainty of whether new drugs will have side

effects. "

Dr Nicolas Forraz, clinical sciences business manager at Newcastle

University and senior research associate in Prof McGuckin's group,

also welcomed the partnership deal, adding: " This joint work with

BioE is the first successful international stem cell commercial

collaboration at Newcastle University and the United Kingdom

advancing development of cord blood stem cells from the bench to

clinical applications. "

BioE, whose headquarters are based in the US state of Minnesota, is a

biomedical company providing human cord blood stem cells for drug

discovery and therapeutic research.

Mr Haider, president and chief executive officer for BioE,

commented: " Newcastle University is an extremely valuable partner for

us given the wealth of technical and clinical resources it can offer

BioE as we continue to identify and solidify business opportunities

internationally. "

Dr Caroline Gladwell, healthcare innovation manager at the regional

development agency for North East England, One NorthEast, said: " Our

investment in the Stem Cell Institute was to provide the region with

the tools and the ability to attract and enter into international

collaborations of this nature. We are delighted that the Institute

has achieved its first international business collaboration. This

will be the first of many. "

Background notes:

The Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine

(ISCBRM): This draws together Durham and Newcastle Universities, the

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust and other partners in a

unique interdisciplinary collaboration to convert stem cell research

and technologies into cost-effective, ethically-robust 21st century

health solutions to ameliorate degenerative diseases, the effects of

ageing and serious injury. The Institute has received substantial

funding and other support from One NorthEast. See:

http://www.iscbrm.org/

BioE:

Headquartered in St. , Minnesota, BioE is a biomedical company

providing human cord blood stem cells as enabling, high-quality

cellular tools for drug discovery and therapeutic research. The

company's novel Multi-Lineage Progenitor Cell™ (MLPC™) - derived from

human umbilical cord blood and obtained using PrepaCyte®, the

company's proprietary cell isolation platform - provides clinicians

and researchers a flexible, long-term and non-controversial tool for

therapeutic research and drug discovery and screening. BioE is

privately owned and was founded in 1993. For more information about

the company, please visit http://www.bioe.com.