Plasticell and Sigma-Aldrich collaborate to develop novel stem cell
differentiation protocols
10 Dec 2010
Plasticell, a London-based biotechnology company specialising
in high throughput technologies for directed stem cell differentiation,
has announced a collaboration agreement with Sigma-Aldrich, a supplier
of technologies and reagents for life science research.
In the collaboration, Sigma-Aldrich will use its CompoZr Zinc
Finger Nuclease Technology to engineer various human stem cell lines
that enable tracking of differentiation to specific mature cell
types via fluorescent reporters, integrated directly into
developmentally expressed genes. The technology enables highly
efficient, precisely targeted knock-in of reporters, resulting in
more reliable reporter systems than conventional transgenic methods
which integrate reporters randomly throughout the genome.
Plasticell will then use these cell lines in its CombiCult high
throughput screening (HTS) system to develop novel stem cell
differentiation protocols.
Under the Agreement, Plasticell will own resulting protocols for
high efficiency, directed differentiation of stem cells, with
Sigma-Aldrich marketing the reporter stem cell lines. Cells and
media may be commercialised together in kits, while reporter cell
lines can be linked to specific CombiCult screens, for optimised
differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (ESC) or induced
pluripotent cells (iPSC).
“I am very pleased to bring together Plasticell’s CombiCult and
Sigma-Aldrich’s CompoZr as part of this exciting collaboration,”
said Dr Yen Choo, Plasticell’s CEO, who has at various times been
involved in the development of both technologies.
"Prior to founding Plasticell, Dr Choo was founder and CSO of
Gendaq Ltd (Sangamo UK), the biotechnology company that developed
the zinc finger engineering system now used in CompoZr. Zinc Finger
Nucleases were listed in the Top 10 Innovations by The Scientist
in 2008 and 2009, while Plasticell’s CombiCult HTS system was
awarded the European Technology Innovation Award by Frost & Sullivan
in 2010.
Plasticell’s Senior Scientist, Dr Marina Tarunina, added: “We
have already demonstrated that using fluorescent reporter lines in
CombiCult experiments offers a highly convenient, real-time, visual
readout for stem cell differentiation. Providing reporter cells as
part of CombiCult enables us to offer industry partners a complete
‘turnkey’ solution for HTS with stem cells, ideally suited for
in-house screening of compound libraries within pharmaceutical
companies.”
Carl Schrott, Director of Marketing for Stem Cell Research
Products at Sigma-Aldrich, said: “Efficient, directed
differentiation of stem cells to predetermined cell lineages remains
a major challenge in the field of ESCs and iPSCs. We are pleased to
partner with stem cell differentiation experts Plasticell to develop
complementary products that address this rapidly growing market
segment.”
The present collaboration is supported by a Technology Strategy
Board Regenerative Medicine Competition grant to a consortium led by
Plasticell and including Sigma-Aldrich and Queen Mary University,
London.