Amsbio has introduced EC23, a stable synthetic retinoid that has been proven in independent testing to potently and reliably control stem cell differentiation.
Stem cells self-renew and have the ability to differentiate into a variety of cell types.
They represent a valuable renewable resource from which functional tissues can be derived.
Such materials can subsequently be used for research, disease modelling, drug testing, and, ultimately, therapeutic applications.
Controlling cell differentiation in a predictable way is a challenge in stem cell research.
Although natural retinoids such as All-Trans Retinoic Acid (ATRA) can be used to trigger neuronal stem cell differentiation, they are inherently unstable, leading to partially differentiated cultures and variable results.
EC23 from Amsbio, which remains chemically and physically stable under normal laboratory conditions, is said to overcome these challenges and offers additional features for stem cell differentiation.
The retinoid enables the robust and reproducible differentiation of stem cells and progenitor cells.
With higher stability in tissue culture medium and more potency as a differentiation factor than retinoic acid, EC23 is said to produce down regulation of markers associated with the pluripotent stem cell phenotype and increased expression of differentiation markers.
The differentiation of neural tissues is clearly observed and additionally EC23 has been noted to trigger digit duplication during targeted release in the chick embryo, underlining its potency as a regulator of tissue development.
As a potent inducer of neurogenesis, EC23 maximises the consistency and efficiency of neural stem cell differentiation and opens up applications in basic research screening, toxicological testing and disease modelling.
