NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Cellular Dynamics will create five induced pluripotent stem cell lines from patients with muscular dystrophy for the Jain Foundation under a master service agreement announced today.
The partners noted that there are currently no effective treatments for the genetic disorder, so "establishing model iSPC lines is an important step toward developing new drugs and therapies for these patients."
Madison, Wis.-based CDI said that it will use its MyCell Products line to create iSPC lines derived from Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B (LGMD2B) and Miyoshi muscular dystrophy 1 patients. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"iPSC technology promises to provide a path to better understand these devastating genetic diseases so that researchers can develop therapies," Plavi Mittal, president and CEO of the Jain Foundation. "CDI's ability to make iPSCs at high quality and purity from any individual, including LGMD2B patients, will provide scientists new tools to understand and address these debilitating forms of muscular dystrophy."
The Seattle-based Jain Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on supporting research into cures for muscular dystrophy.