Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can proliferate indefinitely yet, upon appropriate cues, differentiate into all somatic cell lineages. These two properties of hESCs enable the development of hESC-derived therapeutic cell populations which can be batch manufactured in central manufacturing facilities, cryopreserved, and distributed for “on demand” use at healthcare providers. Protocols have been developed to differentiate hESCs into neural, cardiomyocyte, hepatocyte, islet, osteoblast, chondrocyte, and hematopoietic cell populations which have been shown to be functional in either in vitro or in vivo animal models of human disease. Our group has established protocols to produce oligodendrocyte progenitors that upon transplantation into animals with spinal cord injuries can remyelinate denuded axons, induce axonal sprouting, and improve locomotor activity. Extensive preclinical studies have been completed to examine the activity, biodistribution, dosing, delivery, and potential toxicity and tumorigenicity of the oligodendrocyte progenitors. The safety of these cells is now being tested in the clinic in subjects with complete spinal cord injuries. In addition, our team has developed methods to produce dendritic cells from hESCs that have the antigen processing and presentation functionality to stimulate immune responses. In collaboration with Cancer Research UK, Asterias is preparing for a clinical trial using these hESC derived dendritic cells as a cancer immunotherapy in non-small cell lung carcinoma in the neoadjuvant setting.