15 registered stem cell lines and counting

Guest blogger Geoff Lomax
Senior Officer to the Standards Working Group

CIRM reached an important milestone with the recent registration of a 15th human embryonic stem cell line created with institute funding. (Here is a description of how researchers create human embryonic stem cell lines.) In approving Proposition 71, the citizens of California entrusted CIRM to support safe and responsible stem cell research. A major early accomplishment for the institute was the development of standards requiring review and oversight of work involving stem cell line derivation. Here is a list of all CIRM registered lines.

The registration process it a testament to CIRM’s grantees commitment to these standards. To be eligible for registration, a responsible official must certify the line was created under a protocol that meets CIRM’s exacting requirements for review, informed consent and voluntary donation. In addition, the research team must certify the approved protocol was followed. This dual certification serves to put researchers and oversight officials on the same page – both literally and figuratively. The result is a common understanding of expectations throughout the research community.

Registration also supports the sharing of cell lines. Cell lines derived according our requirements are automatically eligible for use by CIRM-funded researchers. This process addresses a longstanding need of our grantees – the creation of a list of eligible hESC lines.

The latest lines were created at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the University of California, Los Angeles. UCLA is currently working on an agreement for the distribution of the lines to outside researchers. UCLA will distribute the lines to outside investigators who provide evidence their research is approved by an appropriate research oversight committee. It is great to see UCLA taking steps to advance responsible stem cell research.

G.L.

NIH accepts new human embryonic stem cell lines

By Geoff Lomax

The NIH has accepted three new human embryonic stem cell lines, created by CIRM grantee Amander Clark at UCLA. According to the UCLA press release:

“The addition of the three human embryonic stem cells lines to the registry brings the total number of lines available for federal funding to 64, NIH officials said. Another 100 lines are pending approval. UCLA is one of only nine institutions in the world with stem cell lines admitted to the NIH registry.”

All lines were created from blastocysts left over from IVF treatments and would otherwise have been discarded. (You can read more about how the lines are created in this CIRM Stem Cell Basics page.)

In this video, Clark describes the process of creating new lines:


It is reassuring to know that the standards CIRM developed in 2006 for hESC derivation are acceptable in the rigorous NIH policy context. This approval is important because it signals that our grantees are well positioned to support research nationally by registering cell lines derived with CIRM funding.

Geoff Lomax is Senior Officer to the CIRM Standards Working Group, which developed CIRM’s stem cell derivation regulations.

New Stem Cell Lines Created from Testes Biopsy

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have created new stem cell lines from cells found in the human testes. Like embryonic stem cells, these cell lines are pluripotent, which means that they can form all cell types in the adult body. The work follows similar research finding that adult stem cells in mouse testes can be reprogrammed into pluripotent cells. However, the researchers found that the cells differed from embryonic stem cells in several important ways. This is in contrast to a recent paper in Nature finding that the testes-derived stem cells are equivalent to their embryonic counterparts. The researchers suggest that different conditions in the lab may create cells that are more similar to truly pluripotent embryonic cells. Despite the differences, these reprogrammed stem cells cells could be a source of new sperm in men who become infertile due to chemotherapy. They could also one day become a source of stem cells for patient-specific transplants.

Stem Cells: October 16, 2009 (online publication)
CIRM funding: Renee Reijo Pera (RC1-00137)

Related Information: Press Release, Stanford Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Institute, Pera bio

New Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Avoid Animal Products

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine derived new human embryonic stem cell lines using minimal animal products. Although numerous groups have derived stem cell lines, most were generated in the presence of animal serum and animal-derived feeder cells. These animal products are a concern because they may cause the stem cells to produce an immune response when transplanted into humans and may induce biological changes especially to the genome. In this study, the team characterized six lines that were derived with minimal use of animal products.  The researchers verified that the lines behave like normal ES cells in their ability to both self-renew and differentiate to the major cell types.  These lines may be useful for future studies that help move the field toward clinical-grade cell therapy.

Stem Cells and Development: June 17, 2008
CIRM funding: Renee Reijo Pera (RC1-00137)

Related Information: Stanford Stem Cell Biology and  Regenerative Medicine Institute, Pera lab page

Validation of Technique Inducing Skin Cells to become Pluripotent Stem Cells

Researchers at UC, Los Angeles succeeded in inducing skin cells to become pluripotent cells with genetic featured very much like embryonic stem cells. They verified work published during the completion of their project, which showed that the introduction of four specific genetic factors is sufficient to induce differentiated adult cells into reverting to an embryonic stem cell-like state. This was critical validation of a procedure that could lead to a new way of developing personalized cell lines for therapy.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: February 26, 2008
CIRM funding: Rupa Sridharan (T1-00005)

Related Information: Press release, The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA, Lowry lab page