Collaboration aims at producing off-the-shelf stem cells for more efficient and less costly regenerative treatments in horses. Image Stem cells play an important role in veterinary regenerative medicine. © Alice Pien, MD, Wikimedia Commons A partnership between the Roslin Institute and iC-biosolutions aims to accelerate veterinary regenerative therapies by producing ready-to-use stem cell preparations. The study will pave the way for more effective therapies for tissue regeneration in horses, at reduced costs. Increased efficacy Stem cells can undergo unlimited division to form other cells that can differentiate into specialised body tissues, playing an important role in veterinary regenerative medicine — currently a multi-million dollar industry globally. With existing procedures, stem cells need to be collected — often using invasive procedures — from animal patients, and their numbers expanded over several days in the lab, before they can be transplanted to the same or other patients. The generation of ready-to-use stem cell preparations would be a significant advance towards novel tissue regeneration treatments, with increased efficacy and reduced costs. If our work proceeds as planned, this partnership with iC-biosolutions will provide highly valuable cells for veterinary patients. Dr Xavier Donadeu, Principal Investigator, Roslin Institute Tailored skill set Using expertise developed at the Roslin Institute and iC-biosolutions, the four-year partnership will exploit the latest advances in stem cell and genetic engineering to produce off-the-shelf stem cells and to test their ability to mediate tissue healing in the lab. The project is to recruit a PhD student, with an interest in stem cells and veterinary science, who will liaise regularly with the industrial partner. Related links Stem cell studies pave way to leaner livestock Body's stem cells could be used to treat bacterial infection
