Transforming Clinical Trials with iPSC-Derived Liver Organoids

StemFit® for Differentiation

AMSBIO has published a blog about the groundbreaking research of Dr Satoshi Okamoto from Yokohama City University Graduate School's Department of Regenerative Medicine. Dr Okamoto's research focuses on the production of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived liver organoids, which have demonstrated remarkable potential in clinical research trials for liver diseases.

The primary objective of Dr Okamoto's research program was to establish large-scale, stable production of clinical-grade liver organoids, poised to revolutionise liver disease treatment. These organoids hold promise as therapeutic treatments for patients suffering from liver diseases.

To support their study, Dr Okamoto's research group collaborated in the development of StemFit® for Differentiation, a chemically defined and animal component-free supplement designed specifically for the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. StemFit® for Differentiation played a critical role in achieving a stable differentiation induction protocol, successfully differentiating three types of liver progenitor cells from human iPS cells and culturing them into small liver organoids.

Dr Okamoto commented: “StemFit® for Differentiation is very easy-to-use and has allowed us to produce a stable differentiation induction protocol. In our study, three types of liver progenitor cells (endoderm, vascular endothelial and mesenchymal) were induced to differentiate from human iPS cells and then cultured to produce small liver organoids. The supplement’s versatility was vital to our project. In addition, we believe the reason we have been able to achieve stable culture, even when scaled up, is because StemFit® for Differentiation is a fully defined chemical supplement.”

He added: “The next stage of our research and development program will be to evaluate our iPS cell-derived liver organoids in two clinical trials: one for urea cycle disorder, and the other for liver cirrhosis.”

AMSBIO offers StemFit® for Differentiation, a proven solution enabling unmatched differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) and embryonic stem (hES) cells. Its chemically defined composition ensures minimal lot-to-lot variation, providing highly consistent cell differentiation. Moreover, being free of animal-derived components, StemFit® for Differentiation eliminates the risk of immunogenic contamination. This innovative product has found applications in lineage-specific differentiation as well as the spontaneous differentiation of hiPSCs to organoids via embryoid body formation, surpassing the performance of serum-free supplements.

Read the blog in full.

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