The NYSCF Global Stem Cell Array
The NYSCF Laboratory is developing The NYSCF Global Stem Cell Array (Array), which, for the first time, manufactures standardized cells that act as human disease models. Specifically, the Array captures the full spectrum of genetic and ethnic diversity within the human population as stem cell lines. Both healthy donors and diseased patients contribute skin and/or blood. Automated robotic technologies and proprietary protocols transform these samples into standardized, high-quality stem cell lines (i.e. induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs), which may thereafter be reprogrammed into other cell types (e.g. heart cells, liver cells, and brain cells). These cells provide a platform by which researchers can study basic biological development and disease progression.
Researchers may anticipate, on a large scale, how people from genetically diverse backgrounds respond to new drugs—in other words, conduct “clinical trials in a dish.” For the first time, potential drug metabolism and toxicity issues are identified in advance of human clinical trials. Additionally, the Array facilitates the customization of drugs and the creation of cell therapies to match a person’s own genetic type, increasing the likelihood of drug success and decreasing the odds of adverse effects.
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