Stem Cells
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development of Induced Pluripotential Stem Cells and Studies of Gene Expression
IRAS ID
168874
Contact name
Christopher M Morris
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 2 months, 29 days
Research summary
The environment within which we live has a major effect on our health with geography, land use, urban air pollution and past industrial activity leading to a variety of exposure sources contributing to health outcomes. In order to study such exposures we require suitable models, particularly if we are investigating the basic biochemistry of chemical or radiation exposures from the environment. Several animal models have been proposed for investigating such exposures, however a major drawback of such models is that many are not accepted as being appropriate due to the highly complex and often long term exposures and the differences between animal and human development. Whilst it is possible to look at human cell lines in culture to investigate the biochemistry that could stem from exposure, most of these cell lines are derived from tumours and do not behave like normal cells found in the adult. A single cell line also fails to capture the inherent differences between people and how they might respond, for example, to a particular chemical because of differences in the complement of metabolic enzymes. Developing cell lines for specific body organs provides the opportunity to study human disease at the cellular level, and in the most appropriate type of cell. This can be achieved by using embryonic tissue since within this tissue are cells (stem cells) capable of dividing to give defined cell types and which have many, if not all, of the characteristics of the adult cells, although this is technically and logistically difficult to do and has associated ethical issues. Adult cells can now be made to de-differentiate to produce cells which represent a type with very similar characteristics to embryonic stem cells termed induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) by introducing a series of “pluripotency factors”. These iPSC cells can then be used for the production of defined tissue types and with all of the features found in the adult and provide, for example, the potential to develop liver cells in culture which will allow investigation of the effects of environmental exposure. This proposal will seek to develop a panel of iPSC cells from different normal donors which can then be used to model human tissues and also the variation in responses to chemical and radiation exposures. By using iPSC it will provide us with the most appropriate means by which to study environmental exposures in human cell lines in the correct context.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NE/0090
Date of REC Opinion
23 Mar 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion