The first Irish facility for the manufacture of stem cells for human use opens today in Galway. It has been developed by researchers at NUI Galway (NUIG) and will be opened by the Minister of State for Research and Innovation Seán Sherlock.
The Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ireland (CCMI) at NUI Galway will supply the adult cells for use in clinical trials that have got regulatory approval.
It is hoped they will be used to treat conditions like heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. The CCMI is one of less than half a dozen in Europe.
Stem cells are known as the repair mechanism of the human body, and can be isolated from bone marrow and fat and cultured in a lab.
Since 2004, researchers based at the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) in NUIG have been working to develop new therapies for many different areas of unmet medical need.
To develop any new human therapy, the treatment must first be tested for safety and effectiveness in a series of rigorous clinical trials. Over the past number of years REMEDI has developed the CCMI.
Plans for first clinical trial
The custom-built facility designed to expand stem cells for use in human clinical trials.
The announcement coincides with plans for the first clinical trial using CCMI-manufactured stem cells which is being funded by the Health Research Board and Science Foundation Ireland.
It will investigate the safety of using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from bone marrow for the treatment of critical limb ischemia - a common complication associated with diabetes and which can often result in limb amputation.
Minister of State for Research and Innovation Seán Sherlock said "Stem cell technology, developed in the first instance to help patients with diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and critical limb ischemia, can also create sustainable growth and jobs in Ireland’s smart economy by making researchers’ visions a reality".
While Professor Tim O'Brien, Director of the Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ireland, added "the presence of this facility in Ireland positions us well to develop new therapies for a broad array of clinical problems which do not have effective treatments today".
"It will also allow us to translate discoveries from the basic stem cell research programme led by Professor Frank Barry at the Science Foundation Ireland-funded REMEDI to the clinic and to be competitive for grant funding under the Horizon 2020 programme of the EU" he added.
