STEMCAM · A IAPP on the Role of NCAM in Stem Cell Differentiation

A IAPP on the Role of NCAM in Stem Cell Differentiation

The STEMCAM project as a 4-years training and transfer of knowledge program between two distinguished academic groups in stem cell research, two highly innovative SMEs and a company leader in development of media for stem cell research, was dedicated to foster long-term industry/academy collaboration and partnership in the field of stem cells research and applications. The scientific and industrial aim of STEMCAM project was to study the role of the Neuronal Cell Adhesion Molecule NCAM and related growth factors in the maintenance, survival and differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) towards the neural and myocardial lineage, in comparison with embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The project took the advantage of very unique and innovative pharmacological tools, the NCAM and growth factor mimetic peptides discovered by ENKAM. To achieve its aim STEMCAM applied an interdisciplinary approach from cell biology (including innovative in vitro culture using bi- and three dimensional systems), immunocytochemistry, imaging, molecular biology, electrophysiology, to peptide chemistry and chemo-informatics. The STEMCAM collaboration demonstrated to be successful in screening compounds and most importantly this collaboration was able to generate useful and functional tools for screening of compounds promoting neuroectodermal or mesodermal differentiations. Such tools could find direct applications in the pharmaceutical industry in the future. The ESC and iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes represent a powerful tools to enhance drug discovery and development by providing simple, reproducible, and cost-effective systems for toxicity testing of drugs under development, and on the other hand, for studying disease mechanisms and pathways. During the project we have identified five peptides affecting neuronal differentiation and two peptides with marked effects on cardiomyogenesis from mouse ESCs and iPSCs. These peptides could be integrated in the protocols aiming to more efficient differentiation process of ESCs and iPSCs into cardiomyocytes. Overall, the results presented in this project may provide new insights into the pathways, molecules and differentiation events leading to a consistent percentage of cardiomyocytes and neuronal cells derived from mouse ESCs and iPSCs, as well as human iPSCs differentiation system. Although recently iPS and ES cell therapy have been proposed to cure different diseases affecting the nervous system or the heart, there is still a big debate about the safety and use of the pluripotent stem cells in regenerative medicine. The discovery and development of growth factor/cell adhesion molecule mimetic peptides enhancing tissue regeneration in the nervous system or in the heart might help develop new therapeutical strategy in e.g. cardiac infarct or in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson or other neurodegenerative diseases. The project provided a training and transfer of knowledge program structured to efficiently exploit the expertise and complementarities between the industrial and academic partners to reach the scientific goals of the project and provide high quality intersectoral training for the participating researchers. The collaboration between the five entities (two of which being SMEs) was an opportunity for young researchers to expand their expertise and intersectoral network connectivity which has a high benefit for their individual career development. The STEMCAM project linked research and product development activities in two very relevant areas of stem cell research, neurogenesis and cardiomyogenesis and beyond the boundaries of the project, successfully collaborated with other IAPPs such as INDUSTEM and PARTNERS and with a large FP7 IP, ESNATS, complementing and expanding scope of the research and enhancing transfer of knowledge within the ERA. Thus STEMCAM significantly contributed to progress of stem cell research in Europe with high potential impact on European competitiveness and regenerative medicine. Abbreviations: BIO: BioTalentum Ltd; ENKAM: ENKAM Pharmaceuticals A/S; UNIGE: University of Geneva; UKK: University of Cologne; STEMCELL: StemCell Technologies Inc. NCAM: Neuronal Cell Adhesion Molecule; ESC: Embryonic Stem Cells; iPSC: induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Homepage: http://stemcam.biotalentum.eu

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз