SCAN:Primary Cultures and Stem Cells for Drug Discovery and Cell Therapy: Bioprocessing Challenges
Paula M. Alves Head of Cell Bioprocesses Laboratory
| When |
12 Oct, 2011
from
12:00 pm to 01:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Where | Auditorium |
| Add event to your calendar |
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SCAN Seminar-ITQB
Title:
Primary Cultures and Stem Cells for Drug Discovery and Cell Therapy: Bioprocessing Challenges
Speaker: Paula M. Alves
From: Cell Bioprocesses Laboratory
Abstract:
Human stem cells (hSCs), with their ability for extensive proliferation and multi-lineage differentiation, can serve as a renewable source of cellular material in cell therapy, drug screening and in vitro toxicology. A pre-requisite for the transition of hSCs to these fields is the establishment of effective and efficient cell culture and cryopreservation protocols for large-scale expansion, differentiation, storage and distribution.
The laborious and time consuming 2D-cultures are difficult to control, present poor yields and often lack the required cell functionality. This can have severe consequences on robustness, reproducibility and scalability of these cell systems hampering their possible application in Cell Therapy and Drug-discovery.
Our work has focused on the development of 3D-culture systems for expansion and differentiation of clinical relevant cells, namely human stem cells and hepatocytes, exploiting the potential of bioreactor technology. These 3D settings provide a cellular context closer to what actually occurs in vivo, as cells integrate external signals, including those from cell-cell direct interaction, secretion/exchange of soluble factors and/or metabolites.
Results concerning novel culture systems will be presented and their advantages and applicability discussed.
