Image courtesy NHGRI
The institute, birthplace of Dolly the sheep, has set up a not-for-profit company, Roslin Cells Ltd, to run the centre and consolidate its human stem cell research. It is hoped that foregoing rights will speed the translation of stem cell lines into standardised, licensed therapies.
The £2 million of initial funding has come from the development agency Scottish Enterprise, which views the centre as the first link in establishing the supply chain for taking stem cells out of the research labs and through to the clinic.
The Roslin Cells Centre (RCC) is to be headed by Paul De Sousa, one of the country’s leading stem cell researchers. It will create human stem cell lines for research and clinical use from donated eggs and embryos.
De Sousa has previously derived several novel embryonic stem cell lines and is also involved in an initiative to request egg donations from women having elective sterilisation operations.
“As a not-for-profit initiative, the RCC will make clinically usable stem cell lines available under a range of negotiated terms,” said De Sousa. This will include one-off payments without reach through rights for the centre. “This approach will provide huge benefits to academics and companies already working in the stem cell field or seeking to enter it.”
Expertise
The RCC aims to capitalise on the University of Edinburgh and Roslin Institute’s expertise in stem cell research and development. It will involve the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service to ensure the centre meets Good Manufacturing Practice conditions needed for the stem cell lines to be used in the clinic.
Neil Francis, Deputy Chief Executive at Scottish Enterprise, said the stem cell sector could become one of the key drivers of Scotland’s knowledge economy. “The RCC is an important step in establishing a strong commercial sector based on Scotland’s existing world class scientific strengths. The pioneering work of Paul De Sousa will not only help to enhance the international reputation of the Roslin Institute and the University of Edinburgh but also position Scotland as one of the world leaders in stem cell activity leading to future investment and employment within the sector.”
Funding for some of the commercial aspects of the RCC will come from the Genomia Fund, a seed fund set up to provide pump-priming finance for the translation of technologies emerging from public sector research institutes in the region
There are very significant technical challenges still to be overcome before the therapeutic promise of stem cells can be realised. At a basic level this involves developing culture systems for mediating their isolation, expansion and differentiation.
First, these systems must produce sufficient quantities of functionally normal cells. Second, cells produced by these systems must be guaranteed free of contaminants. Reducing the potential for contamination includes implementing systems to provide traceability of transplanted tissue in. It also requires minimising or eliminating dependence on poorly characterised human or animal tissues, cells or cell products, in culture systems.
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