RxCell, a US-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic applications of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), together with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)’s Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), has announced a co-funded collaboration to develop cellular therapeutics for age-related diseases.

Through this collaboration, RxCell will contribute their clinical grade iPSC as well as hypoimmunogenic iPSC generated by their proprietary technologies – which confer the advantage of being able to evade the host’s immune system and avoid an unwanted immune response.

This will complement IMCB’s expertise in retinal diseases and animal modelling, NUS’s expertise in age-related cell therapy strategies and SERI’s expertise in rabbits and non-human primates ocular disease models.

“Our partnership with RxCell signals Singapore's move towards harnessing stem cell regenerative technologies to improve health outcomes. In the near future, we plan to conduct a first-in-man clinical trial in Singapore,” said Dr. Su Xinyi, Senior Principal Investigator at IMCB, and Vitreo-Retinal Consultant at the National University Hospital.