Scientists from the University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke’s Hospital have reported in The Lancet today (December 9) the estimated number of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines that are needed to create a functional therapeutic hESC bank in the UK.

Under the right conditions, hESCs can multiply indefinitely while retaining the ability to develop into more than one type of mature cell. The different cells generated from hESC are a promising source for transplantation to replace diseased or damaged tissue in a wide range of conditions such as diabetes, neurogenerative disorders, or cardiovascular disease. However, cells developed in this way will express specific blood group antigens and human leukocyte antigens (HLAs), which can cause graft rejection. If scientists can create a stem cell bank with varying types of HLAs, stem cell types showing the best match could be selected for patients and the likelihood of graft rejection reduced.

Craig Taylor, Eleanor Bolton, Susan Pocock, Linda Sharples, Roger Pedersen andAndrew Bradley investigated how many hESC lines would be needed to make matching possible in most cases. In order to estimate the number needed, the team analysed the blood group and HLA types of 10,000 donated organs for their compatibility to 6577 patients registered on the UK kidney-transplant waiting list. They assumed that the blood groups and the HLA types of the organ donors would be representative of potential donated spare embryos from in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and that the patients on the waiting list would be indicative of potential hESC recipients. By analysing the degree of mismatch between the two groups they were able to estimate the number of hESC lines that would be needed to provide sufficient HLA diversity for the UK population. They found that 150 blood group compatible donors, 100 blood group O donors, or ten highly selected donors that were homozygous for HLA types common in the recipient population could provide maximum benefit for HLA matching.

Professor Pedersen said:

“The identification of such potentially valuable donor HLA identities within the UK population points the way for generating hESC lines with broad clinical utility. Our findings thus emphasise the value of the UK Stem Cell Bank and the importance of the wider UK Stem Cell Initiative.”

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