Vitro, PhosphoSolutions collaborate to study stem cell growth, differentiation

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, Jan. 11 - Vitro Diagnostics, Inc. announced Wednesday a research collaboration with PhosphoSolutions, LLC to characterize intracellular signaling mechanisms involved with regulation of stem cell growth and differentiation.

Stem cells exhibit immortality through self-renewal properties that are typically activated in normal development. Early investigations by Vitro and PhosphoSolutions have provided evidence suggesting interaction between these key regulatory pathways through phosphorylation of a well-known protein, GSK3-b, supporting work recently completed by other researchers, officials said in a company news release.

The goals of the collaboration are to further investigate intracellular signaling mechanisms underlying stem cell self-renewal and those pathways involved with differentiation of stem cells into functional cells, including beta cells that synthesize and release insulin, officials said.

These studies may advance the understanding of stem cell function and lead to new approaches to selectively activate the regenerative capacity of adult stem cells or to suppress "overactive signaling pathways" in stem cells thought to underlie growth of certain cancerous tumors, officials said.

Vitro said it has previously developed 29 adult pancreatic stem cell lines and has developed methodologies to induce differentiation of functional human beta cells from these cell lines, according to a company news release. PhosphoSolutions makes and supplies antibodies to medical researchers, specifically in cancer biology and neuroscience with a focus on the generation of antibodies that can discriminate a target protein based on its phosphorylation state, officials said.

While phosphoproteins represent only 15% to 20% of all proteins, they regulate virtually every cellular function, including growth and differentiation, officials said.

These phospho-specific antibodies thus can be used to assess the activity of a protein, not simply its level of expression, officials said.

"We are pleased to be working with Vitro to apply our expertise and antibodies to study intracellular signaling pathways involved in the growth and differentiation of Vitro's stem cells," Ron Lickteig, senior scientist at PhosphoSolutions, said in the release.

Vitro Diagnostics is an Aurora, Colo., biotechnology company that developed and manufactures the Vitrocell brand of human cell lines consisting of pituitary and pancreatic-derived cell lines and related products for various research and commercial applications. The company also owns proprietary stem cell technology with potential application in the treatment of animal and human diabetes.

PhosphoSolutions, also based Aurora, Colo., produces and markets phosphospecific antibodies to research institutions, universities and pharmaceutical companies throughout the world. PhosphoSolutions also is developing protein antibody microarrays containing its antibodies to meet researchers' need to assay multiple components of phosphorylation signaling pathways in a high throughput fashion.

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