Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) and Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN) today announced the successful development of novel synthetic surface matrices demonstrated to enhance and support the scalable manufacturing and growth of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).
Through its ongoing collaboration with Geron, Corning has developed a synthetic surface that supports the growth and differentiation of hESCs in a defined (animal-free) medium. Data presented today at the World Stem Cell Summit in Baltimore, Md., will show multi-passage growth of multiple undifferentiated hESC lines and the subsequent differentiation of one of these cell lines into cardiomyocytes. The growth and differentiation of hESCs on this surface is robust and reproducible, an important condition for the large-scale production of cells and therapeutic development. Data will specifically be presented in a poster titled, “Synthetic Peptide-Acrylate Surfaces for Long-Term Self-Renewal and Cardiomyocyte Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells in Defined Medium.”
“We are excited to share the results our research with Geron has generated with the scientific community,” said Dr. Jeff Mooney, director of commercial technology for Corning Life Sciences. “This collaboration is an example of our commitment to bringing Corning’s unique expertise in materials and surfaces to enhance cell growth and deliver critical products to the life sciences industry.”
Since 2006, Corning has worked with Geron to develop synthetic surface matrices to support the scalable manufacturing of hESCs and differentiated cell types derived from them. Synthetic growth surfaces could replace the biological surface coatings that are widely used today to grow and differentiate pluripotent stem cells and may offer increased reproducibility, cost savings, and regulatory advantages.