Japanese Develop Low-Price iPS Cell Culture Fluid

Tokyo, Feb. 5 (Jiji Press)--Keio University's School of Medicine and Ajinomoto Co. <2802> have developed a low-price culture liquid in which induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be produced more efficiently, the pair said Wednesday. Ajinomoto hopes to commercialize the fluid in fiscal 2016 as an alternative to the currently used special culture fluid, which is imported from overseas. IPS cells are expected to play a key role in regenerative medicine because they can develop into various types of tissue, including nerves and muscles. The production of iPS cells requires special care since they can easily develop into cells different from intended ones. Researchers thus use the expensive foreign culture fluid. The new fluid was developed in joint research mainly by Keio University Prof. Keiichi Fukuda, Keio University special instructor Jun Fujita, and Ajinomoto researcher Satoru Okamoto. The team achieved both low costs and strong culture performance by adjusting the amounts and types of nutrients in the fluid. END