Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapy

Summary

The goal of the group is to develop and improve the methodologies for the generation and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSC), both human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) for their clinical application in cell therapy.
The group is working on the generation and banking of iPSC lines under clinically safe conditions derived from cord blood samples from homozygous haplotypes to establish a collection of iPSC lines compatible with a significant percentage of the Spanish population. The generation methodology is under xeno-free and defined conditions, towards Good Manuphacturing Practices (GMP).
In a collaboration of the Banc de Sang i Teixits (BST) and the Banc de línies cel·lulars de Barcelona (BLC-B) a project titled: Allogenic hIPSC from homozygous UCB units for high prevalence haplotypes (iPS-PANIA) is carried out.
The main goal is the development of a Stem Cell Bank of allogenic hiPSCs with pharmaceutical grade quality generated from cord blood units homozygous for frequent haplotypes to provide useful cell lines for basic research and clinical trials oriented to cell therapy .
Specific intermediate objectives:
i. Ethical review of the new contact with the donors and the new therapeutic uses of the donated cells.
ii. Creation, characterization and validation of a registry of Umbilical cord blood units (CBU) with the HLA most represented in the population of our geographical area.
iii. Definition of the criteria, selection and contact with 7 donors with prevalent HLA.
iv. Reprogramming of 7 CBU: creation of the active principle.
v. Expansion of 7 iPSC lines under GMP conditions: creation and registration of the Master Cell Bank.
vi. Expansion of 7 iPSC lines under GMP conditions: creation of the Working Cell Bank and offer to conduct clinical trials.
This project will be carried out, through the progressive implementation of consistent activities with these objectives, by 2 organizations: the Banc de Sang i Teixits (with the subcontracting of the PNSCU banks for the transfer of homozygote haplotype sample and ethical and legal review of the processes), and the Regenerative Medicine Programme( PCMR-C), that, as a whole, possess the knowledge, technical and structural resources necessary to carry it out.

214 Publications

Strategic lines

Selected Publications

Álvarez Palomo B, Veiga A, Raya A, Codinach M, Torrents S, Ponce Verdugo L, Rodriguez Aierbe C, Cuellar L, Alenda R, Arbona C, Hernández Maraver D, Fusté C, Querol S. Public Cord Blood Banks as a source of starting material for clinical grade HLA-homozygous induced pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Res. Ther. 2022;13(1):408-408. doi:10.1186/s13287-022-02961-6.

Martínez Moreno R, Carreras D, Aran B, Kuebler B, Sarquella Brugada G, Brugada R, Pérez GJ, Scornik FS, Selga E. Generation of four induced pluripotent stem cell lines from a family harboring a single nucleotide variant in SCN5A. Stem Cell Res. 2022;63102847-102847. doi:10.1016/j.scr.2022.102847.

Martínez Moreno R, Pérez Serra A, Carreras D, Aran B, Kuebler B, Brugada R, Scornik FS, Pérez GJ, Selga E. Generation of an induced pluripotent stem cell line from a healthy Caucasian male. Stem Cell Res. 2022;60102717-102717. doi:10.1016/j.scr.2022.102717.

Carrasco B, Pons MC, Parriego M, Boada M, García S, Polyzos NP, Veiga A. Male and female blastocysts: any difference other than the sex?. Reprod. Biomed. Online. 2022;45(5):851-857. doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2022.05.004.

Gianaroli L, Veiga A, Gordts S, Ebner T, Woodward B, Plas C, van Groesen W, Sgargi S, Kovacic B. ESHRE certification of ART centres for good laboratory and clinical practice. Hum. Reprod. Open. 2022;2022(4):doi:10.1093/hropen/hoac040.

Selected Projects

CEE21042. Haplo-iPS: Generattion of human induced pluripotent stem cells from haplo-selected cord blood simples. COST ACTION. Budget: 125000. 2022-2026. PI: Veiga Lluch, Ana Mª.

20MEC006. iPS-PANIA: iPSC alogénicas a partir de unidades de SCU Homozigotas para haplotipos de elevada prevalencia. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Budget: 122060. 2018-2022. PI: Veiga Lluch, Ana Mª.

21FIS042. Plataforma de BioBancos y Biomodelos: Unidad integrada del Biobanco y del Banco de Líneas Celulares de IDIBELL BioCellBanK PT20/00171. Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII). Budget: 167750. 2021-2023. PI: Veiga Lluch, Ana Mª.

20PSJ008. Puesta a punto de la metodología para la edición genómica CRISPR/Cas9 en embriones humanos para el estudio del desarrollo embrionario temprano (EMBRYOCRISPR). Fundación Merck Salud. Budget: 30000. 2020-2023. PI: Veiga Lluch, Ana Mª.

20PSJ011. Edición genómica mediante CRISPR/Cas9 en embriones humanos para el estudio del desarrollo embrionario temprano (EMBRYOCRISPR). Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) y Sociedad Española de Fertilidad / Instituto Europeo de Fertilidad SLP. Budget: 15000. 2020-2022. PI: Veiga Lluch, Ana Mª.