Generation of KCL034 clinical grade human embryonic stem cell line

Challenges Facing the Translation of Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Cartilage Lesions

Osteoarthritis is a common disease resulting in significant disability without approved disease-modifying treatment (other than total joint replacement). Stem cell-based therapy is being actively explored for the repair of cartilage lesions in the treatment and prevention of osteoarthritis. Embryonic stem cells are a very attractive source as they address many of the limitations inherent in autologous stem cells, such as variability in function and limited expansion. Over the past 20 years, there has been widespread interest in differentiating ESC into mesenchymal stem cells and chondroprogenitors with successful in vitro, ex vivo, and early animal studies. However, to date, none have progressed to clinical trials. In this review, we compare and contrast the various approaches to differentiating ESC; and discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each approach. Approaches relying on spontaneous differentiation are simpler but not as efficient as more targeted approaches. Methods replicating developmental biology are more efficient and reproducible but involve many steps in a complicated process. The small-molecule approach, arguably, combines the advantages of the above two methods because of the relative efficiency, reproducibility, and simplicity. To better understand the reasons for lack of progression to clinical applications, we explore technical, scientific, clinical, and regulatory challenges that remain to be overcome to achieve success in clinical applications.

Assessing BRCA1 activity in DNA damage repair using human induced pluripotent stem cells as an approach to assist classification of BRCA1 variants of uncertain significance

Establishing a universally applicable protocol to assess the impact of BRCA1 variants of uncertain significance (VUS) expression is a problem which has yet to be resolved despite major progresses have been made. The numerous difficulties which must be overcome include the choices of cellular models and functional assays. We hypothesised that the use of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells might facilitate the standardisation of protocols for classification, and could better model the disease process. We generated eight iPS cell lines from patient samples expressing either BRCA1 pathogenic variants, non-pathogenic variants, or BRCA1 VUSs. The impact of these variants on DNA damage repair was examined using a ɣH2AX foci formation assay, a Homologous Repair (HR) reporter assay, and a chromosome abnormality assay. Finally, all lines were tested for their ability to differentiate into mammary lineages in vitro. While the results obtained from the two BRCA1 pathogenic variants were consistent with published data, some other variants exhibited differences. The most striking of these was the BRCA1 variant Y856H (classified as benign), which was unexpectedly found to present a faulty HR repair pathway, a finding linked to the presence of an additional variant in the ATM gene. Finally, all lines were able to differentiate first into mammospheres, and then into more advanced mammary lineages expressing luminal- or basal-specific markers. This study stresses that BRCA1 genetic analysis alone is insufficient to establish a reliable and functional classification for assessment of clinical risk, and that it cannot be performed without considering the other genetic aberrations which may be present in patients. The study also provides promising opportunities for elucidating the physiopathology and clinical evolution of breast cancer, by using iPS cells.