Commercial Value
Intellectual Property and Potential New Technologies of Commercial Value
- Stem cell-derived therapies are a developing market and investment in this sector is high-risk with potential high reward. Some of this risk arises from the fact that there is no particular business model that will guarantee success, in fact business models must evolve and develop with this expanding field, using lessons learned from the first biotech ‘tissue engineering’ wave. Crucial to business success will be the ability to quickly assimilate new research that reveals specific information about stem cell regulation and how best to grow, store, differentiate, manipulate and deliver these cells to patients, industry and research scientists. The IRC is well placed to deliver the crucial knowledge on the stem cell regulome that will allow the IRC, Life Technologies and future partners to translate a valuable IP pipeline into deliverables with commercial value.
- The contribution of new data to web-based information databases will be the first outcome of fundamental research by the IRC. These databases are a resource tool for the IRC and its partners. The data generated by the IRC will also lead to the identification of the genetic mechanisms that regulate self-renewal versus lineage commitment in hESC will allow direct control over expansion of hESC and directing the choice of cell lineage during differentiation. This information will stimulate rationale drug design to mobilize and direct the differentiation of different cell types to create customized cell therapies.
- Other anticipated technologies will be a virtual ‘computational cell’ that can be utilized for drug design/screening to industry; as well as new cell lines that will be available for high throughput pre-clinical drug development. ‘Custom’ (stem) cells for new clinical therapy opportunities in the neurodegenerative diseases sector could be developed for brain and spinal cord repair based on the regulome discoveries. In addition, we anticipate the identification of new biomarkers that will have therapeutic/diagnostic potential to be exploited by suitable industry partners or by spin-offs arising from the IRC. New research tools will be available in the form of transgenic mice, as well as improved methods for expanding, maintaining and storing stem cells, which will also have market potential for IRC ventures and partners.
