Plasticell delivers differentiation protocols to Stemnion
Uses placenta-derived stem cells as the starting cell type
Plasticell, a UK biotechnology company specialising in high throughput technologies for directed stem cell differentiation, has completed a project with Stemnion of the US, which focused on the applications of stem cells derived from human placentas.
London-based Plasticell used its CombiCult technology to discover multiple new, serum-free protocols that direct the differentiation of Stemnion’s stem cells into hard-to-obtain lineages. The protocols were ranked using Plasticell’s Ariadne bioinformatics software and subsequently validated by Stemnion scientists.
‘Using CombiCult’s combinatorial technology, we identified several differentiation protocols for our cells at a fraction of the time, resources and cost compared with conventional trial-and-error methods,’ said Randall Rupp, vp of manufacturing and development at Stemnion, which is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.
‘Stemnion provided us with a challenge that is typical of adult stem cell r&d programmes, however this project was particularly interesting on several fronts, including, for the first time, utilising placenta-derived stem cells as the starting cell-type,’ said Lilian Hook, Plasticell’s director of research.
