ESI first in the world to create embryonic stem cells for clinical use
By Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 27 July 2006 1836 hrs
Singapore-based biotech company, ES Cell International (ESI), has become the first in the world to create human embryonic stem cells designed for clinical use.
This could speed up international stem cell research, which holds the key to the cure of major diseases.
Existing human embryonic stem cell lines are not suitable for clinical use on humans.
And most researchers agree that this is because they were developed using mouse feeder cells and can trigger immune attacks.
But what ESI has done is to create these human embryonic stem cell lines without the use of animal feeder cells under conditions of current Good Manufacturing Practise (cGMP).
This makes it theoretically safe, for the first time in the world, to test stem cell research on humans in clinical trials, though this is still subject to approval from regulatory agencies.
The 'safe' human embryonic cells were derived from blastocyst embryos by stem cell scientists from a Sydney in-vitro fertilisation clinic.
Dr Alan Colman, CEO of ESI, said: "What we are trying to do is to solve two major unmet medical needs - diabetes and heart failure. In both cases, we need these new cells to move to the clinic. We've got considerable progress already but that is using existing cell lines which are not suitable for going to the clinic. Entry to the clinic means being allowed to be used on humans, to actually use humans in clinical trials."
Dr Alan Colman, who was part of the team that cloned Dolly the Sheep, says the company will make the research version of the new stem cell lines easily available to the international scientific community at a "modest cost".
The A*STAR Singapore Stem Cell Consortium will be in charge of distribution, which will begin at the end of the year.
The clinical grade cells, however, will be more expensive.
Any research group wanting to use them must negotiate a fee and royalty agreement.
The hope is that research groups will use research grade cells in initial stages, and then buy clinical grade cells from ESI when they are ready for clinical trials.
Just last week, US President George Bush vetoed a bill that will allow federal funds to support clinical research using new human embryonic stem cell lines.
US scientists were caught in a debate even as international researchers race to become the first to discover stem cell lines for clinical use.
The fact that a Singapore-based company has done it first is no doubt an international achievement. - CNA/ir
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