MRC and NIH plus others
The International Stem Cell Forum (ISCF) is made up of 21 funders of stem cell
research from around the world, including USA's National Institute of Health and
the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, and MRC. The ISCF was founded
in January 2003 to encourage international collaboration and funding support for
stem cell research, with the overall aim of promoting global best practice in the
area of stem cell research, and accelerating progress in this vitally important
area of biomedical science.
The research
The ISCF commissioned the International Stem Cell Initiative (ISCI) which in
June 2007 announced that as part of ISCI, 80 leading scientists from around the
globe have shared their knowledge about human embryonic stem cells, helping scientists
across the globe to reproduce their work and move research forward in this area.
The ISCI is a global effort to characterise as many human embryonic stem (hES) cell
isolates as possible. The work has been carried out in two phases; ISCI1 (now complete),
where cell lines were analysed for surface antigens by flow cytometry and genes
by quantitative PCR.
Building on the success of ISCI1, the ISCF has now approved funding for a second
Initiative, ISCI2, that will focus on comparing the performance of different media
for the culture of hES cells, and assessing the types of genetic change that accumulate
in hES cells upon prolonged passage. ISCI2 also includes provision for collecting
data on new hES cells lines and incorporating these data into the ISCI Registry.
Stem cells are found in a number of areas of the body and occur at the earliest
stages of human development through to adulthood. Whether they come from an early
embryo, a foetus or an adult, stem cells have two key properties. Firstly, they
have the ability to reproduce themselves almost indefinitely through cell division.
Secondly, they can be directed to generate cells with special functions that make
up the tissues and organs of the body, such as the beating cells of the heart or
the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Stem cell research is one of the 21st
century's most exciting areas of science. Although still in its infancy, it offers
a revolutionary way to repair diseased and damaged body tissues by replacing them
with healthy new cells. But before we can be sure exactly how stem cells work and
how they can be harnessed to combat human disease, a vast amount of research needs
to be done.
The project
The Forum is an opportunity for members to discuss common issues. Funding is
provided via the ISCF members' own funding schemes. The Scientific Management of
the ISCI Program is provided by a Steering Committee comprising nine members from
across the world, including 2 members from the USA and two from the UK.
Quotation: Professor Peter Andrews, leader of the International Stem Cell
Initiative, explained: "Scientists will use the markers to understand the differences
and similarities between the different human embryonic cell lines that are available
through the International Stem Cell Initiative. The effect will be to move research
forward in a way that may not have been possible by individual labs or countries."
Contact:
Professor Peter Andrews, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield.