Stem Cell Source Collection Gets Review Board OK

Stem Cells (National Science Foundation)

International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) in Oceanside, California, said today that its unfertilized egg collection and activation protocol have received the approval of an Institutional Review Board (IRB). IRB review and approval is a Federal requirement for studies with human subjects, and ensures to protect subjects from unnecessary medical risks.

ISCO’s work has resulted in stem cells that the company says offer advantages over other human pluripotent stem cells. ISCO uses unfertilized eggs or oocytes to create what it calls human “parthenogenetic” stem cells (hpSCs). Like human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), hpSCs are pluripotent, which means they can become almost any cell type in the body, yet avoid potential ethical issues associated with use or destruction of what some people believe are viable human embryos.

Unlike hESCs, says ISCO, hpSCs can be created in a form such that they can be immunologically matched to millions of individuals. The matching capability reduces the possibility of derived cells being rejected by an individual’s immune system. This makes possible the establishment of a bank containing a number of stem cell lines immune-matched to large patient populations.

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