Patents & Publications

SCS holds a competitive advantage with its far-reaching collaborative academic relationships, which give access to a pipeline of commercially relevant and potentially valuable intellectual property (IP) and developed technology in the stem cell field. SCS’ suite of patented technology includes:

Embryonic stem cell derivation & propagation
SCS has a historical specialization in the derivation & propagation of embryonic stem cells being the first to develop technology based on, for example small molecule facilitation of derivation & the functionality of the pluripotency gene, nanog.  SCS has developed & will continue to, a variety of ES cell liquid media within the SC Proven® cell culture media range.

Neural Stem cell derivation, propagation & manipulation
NS cells are the first tissue-specific cells that have been identified that can grow stably in the laboratory as pure stem cell lines without significant differentiation. The NS cell shows maintenance of stable biological potency after prolonged periods in culture. NS cells can be grown to a high-production standard, facilitating their early introduction into pre-clinical cell therapy research.

Neurogenic glia
This technology relates to cells with glial markers & neurogenic capability & provides SCS with supplemental technology to its NS cell lines.
 
Human multipotent adipose derived stem cell culture
Human Multipotent Adipose Derived Stem cells (hMADS) can be maintained in vitro in an undifferentiated state. These cells differentiate at high efficiency into adipocytes and osteoblasts providing a valuable resource for research and drug discovery. The cells represent a tractable approach for combined gene & cell therapy for muscular dystrophies in that transplanted hMADS fuse with myofibers & express human proteins in a mouse disease model. 

Stem cell genetic manipulation & gene expression analysis via the use of Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES) sequences
Researchers can monitor the activity of a particular gene of interest in living cells/animals without blocking the normal function of that gene using IRES sequences.  The IRES technology provides for efficient production of both a protein of interest and a selectable marker.  The IRES technology also has application in correlating the ectopic expression of genes (i.e. expression of genes out of place) with phenotypic effects in vivo. 

Stem cell Selection
By engineering undifferentiated stem cells at a gene locus with a genetic selection cassette, stem cell cultures can be kept purified in the undifferentiated state by using antibiotic exposure. In this way homogenous, undifferentiated, high quality stem cell cultures can be more rapidly expanded in a reproducible manner and in defined quantities. Technology includes cell purification based upon transgenic regulation of cell surface antigen expression and physical cell isolation.  

Stem cell differentiation & lineage purification
A further refinement of Stem Cell Selection involves the in vitro differentiation of stem cells & enrichment of the cultures for specific cell fates using genetic selection. Lineage Selection Technology is scalable when used on ES cells and may also be adapted to the isolation and maintenance of tissue stem and precursor cells.  The method can be applied to any differentially expressed gene(s) which distinguishes one cell type from another.

Thymic epithelial progenitor cells for maturation of functional lymphocytes

Episomal cDNA expression systems in embryonic stem cells
Supertransfection Technology avoids positional effects in ES cell transgenesis & provides for stable, elevated levels of foreign gene expression. Strong levels of expression ensure that ES cells can be used to perform functional gene screens & recovery of genes conferring a phenotype of interest can be assured if genetic selection is maintained.