Coriell Institute has received a substantial grant from a prominent organization on the frontiers of biomedical research.
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), one of the world's foremost supporters of stem cell science, has awarded Coriell $10M to supply induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines as part of a cutting-edge research endeavor.
Coriell will partner with Cellular Dynamics International (CDI) to establish and distribute 9,000 new cell lines derived from an assortment of more than 3,000 human disease samples. CDI is a leading for-profit iPS company founded by Dr. James Thomson, the visionary biologist renowned for many of the significant discoveries in this field.
iPS methodology is sometimes described as opening all tissues in the human body to research, an approach that has major promise for drug development and identification of disease mechanisms. iPSC technology was discovered in 2007 and was the subject of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine.
"It is a distinct honor to be part of such a progressive and ambitious undertaking and to work with a great company like CDI," says Dr. Michael Christman, Coriell's President and CEO. "Our Institute has earned and sustained a reputation for excellence in the areas of iPS cell research and biobanking, and we will have much to contribute to the CIRM's new program."
Over the course of several years, Coriell's stem cell laboratory has developed standardized operating procedures to grow and characterize iPS cell lines, approve using rigorous quality control testing, and distribute through an electronic catalog.
"Coriell brings an expertise of iPSC technology to the table," says Dr. Steven Madore, the Institute's Director of Biobanking. "We have prioritized this area of research and recognize its future implications. This new opportunity represents a major step in a very promising direction."
The Philadelphia Business Journal also covered the development and spoke with Dr. Christman, who told senior reporter John George the grant, "gives Coriell national recognition as a leader in the iPSC field." Read the complete Business Journal article here. You can also learn more information about the CIRM stem cell project by clicking here.
