Singapore, June 5, 2008: Stem Cell Sciences, a leading provider of cells and cell culture media to the burgeoning stem cell research market announced that the European Patent Office has granted a patent that protects its existing range of embryonic stem cell culture media.  The media, marketed in Europe under the brands HEScGRO and EScGRO, are used in the culture of embryonic stem cells from human and mouse, respectively.

 

The granted patent, EP Patent 1504086, covers cell culture media that use a combination of signalling molecules called Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) and Leukaemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF).  Stem Cell Sciences’ BMP+LIF media products can be used to culture both human and mouse embryonic stem cells without the use of animal serum.  To meet the higher control requirements of human cell culture, HEScGRO is in addition fully defined and free from animal components.

 

Dr Tim Allsopp, Chief Scientific Officer of Stem Cell Sciences, said, “The availability of serum-free and fully defined media is of vital importance when cultivating embryonic stem cells. In many applications of human stem cell technology, such as the production of human therapeutics, the use of animal products is deemed unacceptable by the clinical community and regulatory authorities.  In all stem cell research, the use of serum is highly undesirable, because serum contains signalling molecules that can cause stem cells to differentiate.  This process of ‘differentiation’ is uncontrollable and irreversible, and neutralizes the very advantage that a naturally replenishing culture of stem cells is meant to provide.”

 

Dr Alastair Riddell, CEO of Stem Cell Sciences, said, “The increasing use of stem cells in drug discovery has created a strongly growing demand for high quality cell culture media products.  Stem Cell Sciences has granted an exclusive licence to Millipore, to produce and distribute its HEScGRO and EScGRO products.  We are delighted that the intellectual property covering these products has now been formally recognised in Europe.”