Released: Monday 5th March 2012

Roslin Cells Ltd, announced today that it will be participating in a consortium to generate human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) to study bipolar affective disorder. The consortium led by Professor Andrew McIntosh from the University of Edinburgh is the winner of a 2011 CRACK-IT Challenge organised by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs).

The consortium also includes scientists at the University of Cambridge and the University of Edinburgh’s MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine.

This project demonstrates the promise of iPS cells to deliver advanced tools for scientific discovery and reduced dependence on animal models. Current animal models used to study some forms of mental illness such as bipolar affective disorder present challenges in understanding the disease or for predicting whether possible new treatments will work. They are also associated with significant animal welfare concerns. This consortium will develop tests for the treatment of bipolar affective disorder using cell-based systems derived from the tissue of affected patients. These tests will be more relevant to the disease as it affects humans, reduce the dependence on animal models and should make some of the present animal testing obsolete.

Aidan Courtney, Roslin Cells CEO stated “I am very pleased that our experience will be applied to the development of new tools for academic research. We continue to work with research groups to translate academic research into new cell therapies, but this project will provide a great opportunity for us to apply our cell production and characterisation capabilities to supply high quality cells for research purposes.”

This collaboration comes hot on the heels of Roslin Cells relocation to bespoke facilities for development and manufacture of cellular therapies at the Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine (SCRM). This 7 clean room GMP Cellular Therapy Facility is a tremendous asset allowing Roslin Cells to maximise its experience and expertise to collaborate in the development of these promising therapies. This project, where Roslin Cells is working closely with colleagues at the MRC Centre for Regenerative medicine and others at the University of Edinburgh is a perfect example of how this collaborative approach will accelerate the use of cell based tools and therapies make a real difference to patients.

About Roslin Cells
Roslin Cells Ltd is headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established as an independent non-profit company by Roslin Institute in 2006 to assist academic and commercial research organisations to transform fundamental research into new cell therapies. In October 2010 the Company announced its Cell Therapy Partner Program through which it helps the development of new cell therapies. The Company also provides ethically sourced, pluripotent human cells manufactured to the highest quality available according to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP standards). This level of quality is critical to their intended use in therapeutic applications.

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For more information please contact Aidan Courtney, Chief Executive Officer:

Phone + 44 (0)131 651 9610; Email: a.courtney@roslincells.com