Corning has launched the Synthemax surface, a novel synthetic surface that supports the growth and differentiation of stem cells.
The surface is being commercialised as a result of Corning's ongoing collaboration with Geron.
The company said this development will enable researchers take the next step towards scalable and cost-effective manufacturing of stem cells for potential therapies in the treatment of degenerative diseases.
Data presented by Corning and Geron at the World Stem Cell Summit in Baltimore in September 2009 demonstrated multi-passage growth of multiple undifferentiated human stem-cell lines and the subsequent differentiation of one of these cell lines into cardiomyocytes.
This is claimed to be the first time the differentiation has been demonstrated with the results presented on a synthetic surface.
The growth and differentiation of stem cells on the Synthemax surface is robust and reproducible - important considerations for the large-scale production of cells and therapeutic development.
The Corning Synthemax surface allows for the scalable expansion of stem cells for more than 20 serial passages in a defined zeno-free medium, with: stable doubling time; phenotypic marker expression (Oct4, TRA-1-60, SSEA4); retention of normal karyotype; and maintenance of pluripotency.
