Scaling up stem cells for clinical use

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Comments

[Richard]

Considerably, the post is actually the freshest topic on this related issue. I harmonize with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your future updates. Saying thanks will not just be enough, for the tremendous clarity in your writing.

[Allison Van Winkle]

Thank you for the response, you've definitely raised some interesting points. While the actual number of cells required for clinical therapy is indeed a rough estimate at this point, and will only be clarified through clinical trial testing, the final cell number will be a significantly large number, that a method of reproducible and homogeneous cell expansion will be required. Of course, the cells used in a clinical trial would not be transplanted as ES cells, rather differentiated (at least to some degree). However, to have confidence in the differentiating cell population, they should begin from a controlled and homogeneous population, and the large-scale expansion of ES cells in bioreactors could serve as a continuous supply. Research relating to the scale-up of differentiating cells is indeed still required - and could provide some very interesting results!

[Alexey Bersenev]

1-2 billions cells for clinical efficacy? Nothing more than speculation. Depends on indication, cell type and other factors.

There are many trials going on today (as many as few hundreds) using adult stem cells (autologous or allogenic) but none of them use mentioned cell doses in my knowledge.

I don't think you have to worry about scaling up ES cells expansion, nobody going to transplant them with therapeutic purpose. You have to think of scaling up mature or progenitor cell-derived from ES.
Geron has incredible experience with neuronal lineage.