Advanced CRISPR technology enhances pluripotent stem cells production - THL Biobank can provide somatic cell material for reprogramming
By utilizing the B-lymphocyte cell lines stored in THL Biobank, researchers at the University of Helsinki have developed a new, faster and more reliable technique for reverting human somatic cells to the stem cell state. Pluripotent stem cells can be further differentiated into several cell types such as neurons. Pluripotent stem cells play a key role in biomedical research in modelling various diseases and developing new therapies.
Researchers at the Helsinki University Stem Cell Centre have previously developed a CRISPR activator (CRISPRa) based genetic engineering method to reprogram skin fibroblast cells into pluripotent stem cells. The use of the CRISPRa technique in reprogramming is advanced, since the process utilizes the activation of endogenous genes in somatic cells, without altering the cellular genome. This results in pluripotent stem cells that very closely resemble early embryonic cells.
The optimized CRISPRa method developed in the recent study, accelerates cellular reprogramming rate and allows controlling of the reprogramming process in a considerably higher degree than before. This results in high-quality pluripotent stem cells and increases possibilities to utilize the somatic cells and cell lines stored in biobanks in biomedical research and disease modelling. Based on the results presented in the article, the University of Helsinki has submitted a patent application for the improved CRISPRa reprogramming technique.
THL Biobank currently stores cells/cell lines from more than 7000 sample donors that are available for biobank research. Extensive genotype and phenotype data can also be associated with most cells. Cells and cell lines represent the general Finnish population as well as different disease groups such as diabetes, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and neurological diseases.
More information about sample collections and available data at THL Biobank
Read the original news on the University of Helsinki website (published 21.1. 2022)
Results of the study were published in Stem Cell Reports:
Joonas Sokka, Masahito Yoshihara, Jouni Kvist, Laura Laiho, Andrew Warren, Christian Stadelmann, Eeva-Mari Jouhilahti, Helena Kilpinen, Diego Balboa, Shintaro Katayama, Aija Kyttälä, Juha Kere, Timo Otonkoski, Jere Weltner and Ras Trokovic. CRISPR activation enables high fidelity reprogramming into human pluripotent stem cells. Stem cell reports. 2022.
