EU-funded stem cell breakthrough offers hope to liver patients
Recently published in the Stem Cell Reports journal, the study, to which scientists working on the EU-funded DETECTIVE project have contributed towards, has identified a new cost-effective technique for growing liver cells from stem cells that could be adapted for mass production. The process involves growing stem cells on synthetic materials, without the need for animal-based materials. The ability to create stem cells (which possess the ability to self-replicate and differentiate into all cell types in the body) in a cost-effective, humane and safe way could help scientists develop new therapeutic approaches and encourage research targeted at tackling specific diseases. Developing viable alternatives to animal testing has been a central objective of the DETECTIVE project. Many industries rely on safety assessments of chronically acting toxicants relevant for humans to promote their products to the market. Current methods mainly entail the use of animals, but are time consuming, expensive and ethically questionable. Through cooperation with other projects within the EU’s alternative testing cluster, the project has helped to advance current knowledge and data with regards to existing biomarkers for chronic organ damage such as liver cirrhosis and from this developed in vitro toxicity models for three target organs, namely the liver, heart and kidney. This research has played a key role in developing the new method for growing stem cells outlined in the Stem Cell Report journal. Liver cells have already been used as therapies for patients with liver damage with some success. However, the conditions used to grow these cells have not been amenable to mass production, which means that at the moment, donor organs are the only source of cells. Growing liver cells from stem cells could therefore offer a limitless supply for patient therapies, which is why this has become such an intense field of study. The process outlined in the Stem Cells Report journal involves growing synthetic versions of naturally occurring molecules called laminins. Laminins are part of the supportive scaffold that surrounds cells and shapes the complex structure of a tissue. The team found that growing stem cells on laminins turned them into organised liver cells more efficiently than previous methods. Such advances in cell-based therapies, particularly in the liver, represent promising alternatives to whole-organ transplantation. Cell transplantation has several benefits over organ transplantation, including the use of one organ for several patients, and the procedure itself is generally less invasive. The researchers hope that the breakthrough will one day lead to the large scale production of high quality liver cells for use as patient therapies. The next step will be to assess their suitability for human use in appropriate pre-clinical models. The work of the DETECTIVE project – and all EU-funded projects within the alternative testing cluster – will also have significant exploitation potential within the medical research, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. The five-year DETECTIVE project is due for completion at the end of 2015. For further information please visit: DETECTIVE project website
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