Takara Bio Cellartis Intestinal Epithelial Cells Kit

Takara Bio has launched the Cellartis Intestinal Epithelial Cells (from ChiPSC18) Kit. These small intestinal epithelial cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells express intestinal markers at levels comparable to that of adult small intestinal tissue. They also express drug metabolizing enzyme CYP3A4 and drug transporter PEPT1 at more physiologically relevant levels compared with Caco-2, the current gold standard of intestinal models, Takara said. Additionally, the monolayer of intestinal epithelial cells forms a functional barrier that can be used for predicting intestinal permeability. The cells provide an improved model for the study of absorption and metabolism of orally administered drugs, the company said.