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news.Stem Cell Sciences has announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office has granted its patent for technology that improves the efficiency of the culture and derivation of embryonic stem cells, which leads to an increased purity of the cells.
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The new patent claims cover the culture and derivation of embryonic stem (ES) cells using a medium that contains leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and an inhibitor of an enzyme which activates mitogen-activated protein kinases, the enzyme is named MEK. When ES cells differentiate they begin to secrete factors that lead to the differentiation of other ES cells and the proliferation of these cells results in the purity of the ES culture being lost. A MEK inhibitor in combination with LIF suppresses undesired differentiation and maintains the pluripotent nature of the ES cells.
This technology offers advantages for cell-based drug discovery applications, where the prevention of uncontrolled differentiation facilitates the efficient expansion of the cells prior to their utilization.
Alastair Riddell, CEO of Stem Cell Sciences, said: “This technology represents advances in cell culture that will be used in our revenue generating SC Services business. The improved cell cultures described in the patent are of particular interest to pharmaceutical companies wanting to use our technology for drug screening.”