VANCOUVER, British Columbia– STEMCELL Technologies announces the launch of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) characterization and banking services in partnership with WiCell®. These services, offered through STEMCELL’s Contract Assay Services division, will provide researchers with comprehensive cell quality assessments and enable them to generate cell banks using standardized practices. Ultimately, this will reduce variability and improve reproducibility for various downstream applications, including disease modeling, drug discovery, toxicology screening, and regenerative medicine research.
This collaboration will make it easier for pluripotent stem cell researchers to achieve critical yet often overlooked steps: characterizing new or existing cell lines, and creating fully characterized banks of hPSCs. By combining STEMCELL’s more than 25 years of experience in providing tools and services to stem cell researchers with WiCell’s expertise in PSC banking and characterization, scientists will have access to the technical expertise required to ensure their research and downstream applications meet the highest standards. These services will initially be offered within the United States only.
The launch of these services supports STEMCELL’s commitment to pluripotent stem cell quality and standardized cell banking practices. Dr. Allen Eaves, STEMCELL’s President and CEO, commented, “STEMCELL is thrilled to offer these services in partnership with WiCell, who hold immense expertise in stem cell banking and characterization. This collaboration promotes best practices in hPSC cell quality and banking, which are critical in advancing stem cell research, drug discovery, and stem cell-based therapies.” The new services build on STEMCELL’s existing portfolio of products to support pluripotent stem cell researchers, including mTeSR™ Plus, and mTeSR™1, the most widely published feeder-free hPSC maintenance medium.
“Quality control measures, including appropriate characterization and banking, are essential for enhancing rigor and reproducibility in stem cell technology,” said Robert Drape, WiCell Chief Executive Officer. “Partnering with STEMCELL Technologies offers a tremendous opportunity for increasing awareness, encouraging wider adoption of best practices, and moving the field forward with confidence in cell lines being used.”
