Glossary
Adult stem cell or AS cell
(also known as tissue-specific or somatic stem cell) an undifferentiated cell found in a differentiated tissue that can renew itself and (with certain limitations) differentiate to yield all the specialised cell types of the tissue from which it originated
Astrocytes
one of the large neuroglia cells of neural tissues
Cell
the smallest structural unit of an organism that is capable of independent functioning, consisting of one or more nuclei, cytoplasm, and various organelles, all surrounded by a semi permeable cell membrane
Cell culture media
the broth that covers cells in a culture dish, which contains nutrients to feed the cells as well as other growth factors that may be added to grow cells or direct desired changes in the cells
Cell therapy
treatment in which stem cells of a specific cell type, required to repair damaged or depleted adult cell populations or tissues, are introduced or transplanted into a patient
Central nervous system or CNS
the portion of the vertebrate nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord
Clinical
involving medical treatment, practice, observation or diagnosis
Differentiate
the process whereby a stem cell acquires the features of a specialised cell such as a heart, liver, or muscle cell
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
the most common form of muscular dystrophy, in which fat and fibrous tissue infiltrate muscle tissue, causing eventual weakening of the respiratory muscles and the myocardium.
Embryo
in humans, the developing organism from the time of fertilisation until the end of the eighth week of gestation, when it becomes known as a foetus
Embryonic stem cells or ES cell
are pluripotent stem cells derived from the preimplantation (3-5 day old) embryo that have the potential to become any specialised cell type found in the body
FACS
fluorescence activated cell sorting, a technique that can separate and analyse cells, which are labelled with fluorochrome conjugated antibody, by their fluorescence and light scattering patterns
Foetal calf serum (FCS)
a blood component from foetal calves which contains hormones, nutrients and other 'ingredient' frequently required to keep cells alive and growing in a tissue culture well
Gene
is the basic, inheritable, structural unit from which each specific protein produced by the body is derived
Genetic engineering
scientific alteration of the structure of genetic material in a living organism. It involves the production and use of recombinant DNA and has been employed to create bacteria that synthesise insulin and other human proteins, and to change specific genes in cells and animals
Gene expression
the conversion of genetic information encoded in a gene into either messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA) or ribosomal RNA (rRNA) through a process called transcription. Transcription precedes translation of RNA into protein
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
an international set of guidelines by which drugs and medical devices are manufactured
Growth factor
a substance that affects the growth of a cell or an organism
IRES Technology
methods and tools which can be used to monitor gene expression in living cells without blocking the function of that gene in the cells
Lineage Selection
part of the Selection Technology, methods and tools for obtaining pure populations of tissue-specific stem cells
Microarray
a tool for analysing gene expression that consists of a small membrane or glass slide containing samples of many genes arranged in a regular pattern
Multipotent
stem cells can produce multiple cell types, for example red and white blood cells, but not all cell types
Nanog
a factor which works inside a cell and can determine whether the cell has pluripotent properties, useful for deriving and maintaining pluripotent cells
Nervous System
the system of cells, tissues and organs that regulate the bodies responses to internal and external stimuli. In vertebrates it consists of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, ganglia and parts of the receptor and effector organs
Neural
of or relating to a nerve or the nervous system
Neural cell
mature, specialised cells of the nervous system including neurons, astocytes and oligodendrocytes
Neural stem cell or NS cell
a stem cell found in adult neural tissue that can replicate itself or give rise to mature cells of the brain: neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes
Neuron
nerve cells, the structural and functional unit of the nervous system. A neuron consists of a cell body and its processes, an axon, and one or more dendrites. Neurons function by the initiation and conduction of impulses and transmit impulses to other neurons or cells by releasing neurotransmitters at synapses
NS Technology
also referred to as Neural Stem Cell Technology methods and tools to derive and grow self-renewing neural stem cells, obtained to date from mouse, rat and human tissue
Oligodendrocytes
a cell that provides insulation to nerve cells by forming a myelin sheath around axons
Parkinson’s disease
a progressive nervous disease occurring most often after the age of 50, associated with the destruction of brain cells that produce dopamine and characterised by muscular tremor, slowing of movement, partial facial paralysis, peculiarity of gait and posture, and weakness. Also called paralysis agitans, shaking palsy
Phase I
the first safety test of a potential therapeutic in humans, usually conducted in healthy volunteers
Phase II
early clinical pharmacology, efficacy and safety trials conducted on a limited number of patients. They include dose-ranging studies to establish an appropriate range of doses
Phase III
major efficacy and safety trials in large numbers of patients in multiple centres
Pluripotent
ability of a single stem cell to develop into all different cell types of the body
Pre-clinical
prior to testing in humans
Reprogramming
resetting the developmental clock of a nucleus; for example, resetting the developmental state of an adult differentiated cell nucleus so that it can carry out the genetic programme of an early embryonic cell nucleus, making all the proteins required for embryonic development
Selection Technology
methods and tools for selecting pure populations of stem cells, divided into Stem Cell Selection and Lineage Selection
Somatic stem cell
(also known as adult or tissue-specific stem cell) an undifferentiated cell found in a differentiated tissue that can renew itself and (with certain limitations) differentiate to yield all the specialised cell types of the tissue from which it originated
Spinal cord
the thick, whitish cord of nerve tissue that extends from the medulla oblongata down through the spinal column and from which the spinal nerves branch off to various parts of the body
Spinal cord injury
damage in the spinal cord, called myelopathy, can result in paraplegia or quadriplegia, depending on the level within the spinal cord of the damage
Stem cell
unspecialised human or animal cells which can replicate themselves and/or give rise to mature specialised cells (e.g. blood cells)
Stem Cell Selection
part of our selection technology, methods and tools for obtaining pure populations of stem cells
Supertransfection Technology
a system for genetic engineering of embryonic stem cells, which can be used for gene discovery
Tissue
an aggregation of morphologically similar cells and associated intercellular matter acting together to perform one or more specific functions in the body.
Tissue-specific stem cell
(also known as adult or somatic stem cell) an undifferentiated cell found in a differentiated tissue that can renew itself and (with certain limitations) differentiate to yield all the specialised cell types of the tissue from which it originated
Undifferentiated
not having changed to become a specialised cell type
USPTO
US Patent and Trademarks Office