Motivation​

There is a constant and high demand in society for improved, personalized therapy options, e.g. for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases or Alzheimer's disease. In order to develop new drugs and detect side effects at an early stage, innovative and improved disease models are needed that map disease patterns in the body as accurately as possible. To meet these challenges, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have been used as a promising cell biology technology for some time. hiPSC is a special type of cell that is produced from normal tissue cells. Using special procedures, these cells are reprogrammed in such a way that they can differentiate, i.e. specialize, into almost any other cell type, such as heart, nerve or muscle cells, similar to embryonic stem cells. Notably, there is the possibility of producing hiPSCs specifically for patients and thus developing and testing new, personalized therapeutic and diagnostic approaches. hiPSCs represent a diverse model system that has now reached a level of maturity that enables transfer to industrial environments. However, the expansion and differentiation of these cells is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process that must be improved by optimized and standardized cell culture techniques to be able to meet the high demand for these cells in the future. ​

Objectives and approach ​

The main goal of the CRiPS project is to develop and validate a platform that improves the cultivation and differentiation of human stem cells over long periods of time and further minimizes user intervention. For this purpose, biologically active factors are encapsulated in a novel, particulate material that offers controlled release over an extended period of time. To achieve the goals, the project addresses the following overarching work steps: 1) Selection and production of materials 2) Establishment of a material platform and its characterization and 3) Validation of the platform based on selected cultivation protocols for hiPSCs.​

 Innovation and perspectives ​

Our approach stands out from the state of the art in offering a multi-component system for the controlled release of bioactive substances for expansion and differentiation of human stem cells based on particulate systems. Economic and technical advantages result from reduced investment of personnel and materials and improved quality of the obtained cells concurrently. The project will facilitate and significantly advance biomedical stem cell research in Germany and promises improved treatment options for patients in the long term. In the future, it is planned to transfer the results to other cell types, other fields of technology and applications.​

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