20 April 2015

Twenty billion for stem cells

Japan to invest 20 billion yen in the creation of drugs based on iPS cells

The Center for Applied iPS Cell Research at Kyoto University (CiRA), which is headed by Nobel Laureate Shinya Yamanaka, and one of Japan's largest pharmaceutical companies Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited announced on Friday the launch of 10 projects for a period of 10 years on the joint development of drugs and treatments for severe diseases based on iPS cells discovered by Yamanaka. (The press release of CiRA and Takeda Enter 10-year Collaboration on iPS Cell Research is published on the company's website – VM).

Shinya Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2012 for creating a stem cell from an ordinary human skin cell in 2006. The cells were called induced pluripotent (multifunctional) iPS stem cells and opened up revolutionary prospects for creating organs from the stem cells of the patient himself, without resorting to the help of a donor.

More than 100 employees of the scientific institute of the pharmaceutical company will take part in the projects that will be devoted to the search for medicines for severe diseases of the heart, kidneys and other organs. Takeda Pharmaceutical Company intends to invest 20 billion yen (about $ 168 million) in the development. In fact, this project will be the first swallow in the large-scale application of iPS cells in practical medicine.

For 9 years after the discovery of iPS cells, scientists have learned how to grow heart muscle cells, intestines, pancreas, retina, blood, skin, nerve cells, female egg and sperm cells, kidney nephrons from them. Last year, the first retinal replacement operation in the history of mankind was successfully performed using iPS cells. The discovery made it possible to test drugs on organs grown from iPS cells. So, last year, scientists discovered that a drug that has long been used in cardiology unexpectedly turned out to be extremely effective in the treatment of cartilaginous (chondro-) dystrophy.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru20.04.2015