NIH contract calls for Coriell to include iPS cells in genetic biobank

Philadelphia Business Journal - The Coriell Institute for Medical Research received a five-year, $27 million contract Monday from the National Institutes of Health for a human genetic biobank and new stem cell laboratory.

The contract with the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) will allow Coriell in Camden, N.J., to introduce what it describes as a “powerful type of stem cell” called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, into the NIGMS human genetic cell repository established in 1972.

Produced by genetically reprogramming specialized cell types, such as skin cells, iPS cells share the ability of embryonic stem cells to turn into any of the 200 cell types in the human body without the use of an embryo. As a results, iPS cells hold great promise for the future of disease treatment.

“This is the perfect opportunity to incorporate a revolutionary technology into the study of rare human disorders with the hope of furthering researchers’ understanding of disease development,” said Michael F. Christman, Coriell president and CEO. “We see the introduction of iPS cells into this collection as critical because of their vast potential for therapeutic use and regenerative medicine.”

Another initiative being pursued at Coriell through the contract is the collection of samples from individuals born with isolated congenital heart defects. About 40,000 babies are born in the United States each year with a congenital heart defect, the leading cause of infant death. Cell lines and DNAs from affected individuals will be made available by Coriell to researchers in hopes that the underlying causes of these heart defects can be discovered.