In a license agreement with the University’s technology transfer company, Isis Innovation, Geron receives a worldwide exclusive license for pioneering work by Oxford scientists who derived dendritic cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).
In a linked research agreement, Geron will fund work in the University’s Sir William Dunn School of Pathology to further develop the technology under the guidance of Dr Paul Fairchild and Professor Herman Waldmann.
“The combination of the Oxford technology with Geron’s ability to grow and differentiate hESCs on a commercial scale opens up new possibilities in both vaccine delivery and tolerance-induction for hESC-based cell therapies. The research at Oxford is designed to complement Geron’s internal efforts in this field, and we look forward to a collaborative and productive relationship,” said Dr Jane Lebkowski, Geron’s senior vice president of regenerative medicine.
Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized cells of the immune system that have several functions of potential therapeutic significance.
In one form, DCs are highly effective in presenting foreign antigens to the immune system to initiate an immune response against the source of those antigens, such as an invading pathogen or a tumor.
In another form, DCs may act to block an immune response against an antigen by teaching the immune system not to attack it – a process known as “tolerizing” the individual to that antigen. In organ transplant studies where bone marrow cells from the organ donor are given to the recipient along with the organ, such a tolerizing effect has been observed.