CAI Indicates the Upcoming Launch of Human iPSC-Derived Cardiac Cells
SAN DIEGO, Dec 2, 2016 -- Within the first quarter of 2017, officials at Cell Applications, Inc. state they will officially introduce cardiac cells derived from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Fully functional cell preparations have already been successfully made and tested, and the company will leverage this pre-launch period to engage in dialog with scientists to best understand their R&D needs and cell utilization patterns. These Human iPSC-Derived Cardiac Cells, which include Cardiomyocytes or i-HCm for short, mark another milestone in a string of previous and upcoming launches of iPSC and iPSC-derived cells. As highly specialized, sensitive cells, cardiomyocytes contain contractile units called myofibrils. They also have large amounts of mitochondria, which produce energy in the form of ATP, making them highly resistant to fatigue. “We’re focusing on the many key research applications for cardiac cells,” says Dr. Daniel Schroen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “In vitro, they provide an excellent tool for electrophysiology, cell viability, microscopy and cardiac disease modeling. Others use them to assess the safety and toxicity of new drug candidates.” Adds Schroen, “Cardiac Cell screens can reduce the risk of late-stage trial failure, or help remove already-approved, but possibly still dangerous drugs.”
The process starts with dermal fibroblasts (skin cells), which are re-programmed (induced) back into a primitive (pluripotent) state, yielding cells that can differentiate into distinct lineages, among them heart cells. High numbers of i-HCm and other cardiac cells are generated using a robust manufacturing protocol. Th Chemically-defined culture conditions are serum-free, feeder-free, integration-free and do not purify the cells through genetic selection, reducing the risk of genotoxic stress due to molecular manipulation. “The joining of human iPSC generation and differentiation technologies, together with automated manufacturing, means cardiac cells can now be produced at an affordable, virtually unlimited scale, for even the largest research and screening projects.”
Importantly, these iPSC-Derived Cardiac Cell preparations include other relevant cell types present in the human heart, thereby increasing physiologic relevance, cell maturity, health and function, and more closely reflecting cell populations in a healthy heart. “Humans aren’t walking around with hearts made of 100% cardiomyocytes, and neither do our Cardiac Cell preparations reflect such an artificial composition.” Instead, the vials contain at least 40% i-HCm, as well as other naturally occurring cardiac cells, namely fibroblasts, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. The normal cellular composition and cell-cell interactions may help reduce experimental artifacts, false positives or negatives that could result from preparations enriched only for cardiomyocytes. The Cardiac Cells are derived from the iPSC of a single human donor, express typical cardiomyocyte markers, and demonstrate strong post-thaw viability and plating efficiency. As expected, after plating at the recommended density, the cells spontaneously beat in a synchronized fashion. “Recently, we even bio-printed a small, beating heart tissue organoid made from iPSC-derived Cardiac Cells.”
To begin the conversation and engage with technical experts, contact Cell Applications.
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Press & Media Relations
Daniel Schroen, PhD
VP, Sales & Marketing
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