Researchers at the University
of Edinburgh have pioneered a simple way to remove dead cells from cell
cultures used to make protein-based drugs, which are increasingly prescribed
to treat a range of illnesses.
Such medicines are expensive to make, with high costs resulting from the time-consuming
and labour-intensive nature of developing them in cell culture
Scientists have streamlined this process using magnetic beads coated with special
antibodies that bind to dead cells without harming the remaining healthy cells.
A magnet is then used to draw the dead cells out, leaving the living cells to
produce beneficial proteins more effectively
Professor Chris Gregory, of the University's Centre for Inflammation Research,
said: "We are essentially mimicking what happens in the body when scavenger
cells remove dead and abnormal cells. If the dead cells are not removed, then
this affects how healthy cells behave.
"Not only will this make the production of drugs more efficient, but it
will also streamline research into new medicines which use cell culture."
A spin-out company, Immunosolv, has been formed to market the technology following
support through Scottish Enterprise's Proof of Concept Programme and a SMART
award.
Researchers have found that removing dead cells can increase productivity of
cell cultures by more than 100 per cent. The method replaces lengthy and potentially
damaging methods of cell removal, such as spinning cultures around at high speeds,
which can traumatise healthy cells, and could also have implications for vaccine
development and stem cell research.
Posted August 26th, 2008
