Development of Stem Cells as Gene Delivery System
An ideal vector is to transfer a precise amount of gene expression products into each target cell without causing toxicity. Gene delivery to cells ex vivo has become an attractive method because it overcomes the host immunity, and circumvents the limitation of certain cells and tissues in in vivo transduction. The use of stem cells as carriers for therapeutic genes is a novel delivery option for gene therapy. With the comprehensive and advanced stem cell platform, Creative Biolabs provides sundry types of modified stem cells from a variety of sources for delivering therapeutic genes to meet the demands of customers around the world.
Stem Cells as Vehicles for Gene Therapy
Stem cells have the capability to self-renew and differentiate into various types of cells. Stem cells contribute to multiple tissues, including bones, cartilages, skeletal muscles, the meniscus, tendons, ligaments, the labrum, neural system, and heart, etc. Combined delivery of stem cells with various therapeutic agents to target specific tissues or organs has the potential to enhance, modulate or initiate repair processes locally or systematically. Creative Biolabs provides various genome editing tools based on recombinant technology such as transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and the clustered regularly interspersed short tandem repeat (CRISPR)/Cas system.
Stem cells can be used to delivery artificially produced molecules for therapy application. We provide strict GMP procedures throughout to acquire stem cells isolated from the patient or other sources and propagated in vitro. Specifically, we utilize gene target technology to introduce therapeutic genes into stem cells and then return the genetically-modified cells to the patients safely.
Fig.1 Strategies for delivering therapeutic transgenes into patients
Homing of Stem Cells
Stem cells have the capacity of homing that can mediate genes, proteins or small molecules to target injured or diseased tissues of the human body. Homing can enhance reparatory mechanisms, and increase both cell stocks and signaling molecules. Creative Biolabs has devoted itself to optimizing cell viability, migration, targeting and tracking to improve the potential of stem cell homing. Our platform has several strategies for addressing cells, for example, by means of culture stem cells at lower confluence, 3D culture conditions, cell preconditioning by soluble molecules which have biocompatibility, biodegradability and stability.
Stem cell types as Gene Delivery System
- The mesenchymal (MSC) is an ideal vehicle for cell-based therapies by introducing beneficial genes. MSC has the ability to differentiate into a variety of cell types, including bones, cartilage, adipose (fat) tissues, muscles and marrow stroma.
- Neural stem cells (NSC) primarily differentiate into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, thus they can serve as vehicles for gene therapy and replace the neurons lost due to to injury or diseases.
Advantages
- Cells can be manipulated much more precisely than in vivo.
- Cells can migrate, home and target to inflammatory sites.
With extensive knowledge of biological markers, Creative Biolabs can precisely isolate specific cell types and insert various therapeutic genes to modify stem cells by multiple gene delivery methods. If you have any needs of gene therapy in basic research or preclinical trials, please feel free to contact us and we are pleased to offer you the best services.
References
- Zwaka, T. P. (2006). Use of genetically modified stem cells in experimental gene therapies. Regenerative medicine, 45.
- Labusca, L.; et al. (2018). Stem cells as delivery vehicles for regenerative medicine-challenges and perspectives. World journal of stem cells, 10(5), 43.
