ORIG3N, Kangstem Biotech collaborate to study neural stem cells

As part of the collaboration, Kangstem Biotech will provide iNSCs to ORIG3N for use in its disease-modeling platform.

Kangstem Biotech has developed a novel approach to generating patient-specific iNSCs directly from skin fibroblasts. The iNSCs can be further differentiated into different neural-cell types for use in therapies and drug screening for neurological disorders.

ORIG3N will leverage in-house capabilities to study iNSCs with the goal of advancing the use of Kangstem’s iNSCs in disease modeling applications.

"We are working to develop stem-cell therapies to treat incurable diseases so that people can not only live longer but happier, too." said Kyung-Sun Kang, CEO of R&D at Kangstem Biotech.

"It is valuable to our work and mission that we collaborate with organizations such as ORIG3N to expand the utility of our stem-cell innovations."

ORIG3N is transforming the future of medicine by using Nobel Prize-winning technology to reprogram blood samples into induced pluripotent stem cells, which are then used to grow different cell types including neurons, heart cells and liver cells. These cells offer a powerful tool for accurate disease modeling and drug-discovery research.

"Our team of scientists are on the cutting edge of modeling diseases using induced pluripotent stems cells," said Robin Y. Smith, CEO of ORIG3N.

"We’re excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Kangstem, as they have created a new approach to developing neural stem cells that could lead to improved therapy development in neurological disease. By collaborating with Kangstem we will advance the work both our organizations are doing in getting closer to the promise of personalized regenerative medicine."