VINNOVA to provide SEK 3.6 million for Vitrolife’s stem-cell research

Nov 18 2009

Vitrolife (STO:VITR): VINNOVA announced in a press release yesterday that they are going to provide support of SEK 3.6 million for Vitrolife’s research project for optimized culture media to enable the clinical use of stem cells. “It is very pleasing news and will enable more intensive work in an area that we very much believe in for the future”, says Magnus Nilsson, Vitrolife’s CEO.

Stem-cell research addresses the core problems within the treatment of highly widespread diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases and diabetes. Today’s methods rely on animal substances to support the growth, differentiation and genetic stability of stem cells. However, these limit the possibilities of using stem cells within clinical therapy, as the animal derivatives increase the risk of immunological reactions in transplantations. New research results within stem-cell therapy open up possibilities of more modern, more efficient and completely new methods of treatment.

“For many years we have successfully developed clinical media for assisted fertilization and our knowledge of cells’ different needs and of how to optimize culture conditions means that we can see possibilities of more rapid development and reaching the market with a medium for the cultivation of stem cells intended for clinical cell therapy,” says Dr Christer Silversand, the responsible scientific officer within Vitrolife’s research organization. “The collaboration with Cellartis and Sahlgrenska Hospital gives us valuable clinical and basic scientific expertise in the area.”