Breaking News, Collaborations & Alliances
Applied StemCell, CIRM Partner on Resources for Regenerative Therapies
To provide access to clinical-grade iPSCs and gene editing technologies to accelerate development.
By: Kristin Brooks
Managing Editor, Contract Pharma

Applied StemCell, Inc. (ASC) and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) have partnered as Industry Resource Partners. ASC is offering its IP-based gene insertion technology and TARGATT iPSC master cell line, along with resources to support cell therapy process development and GMP manufacturing, to CIRM Translational and Clinical awardees. Award recipients will gain access to Applied StemCell’s newly expanded GMP clean room suites dedicated to iPSC, MSC, and cell manufacturing, animal facilities, and state-of-the-art equipment.
The partnership focuses on increasing accessibility to ASC’s TARGATT master iPSCs and its wild type (WT) induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) master cell bank (MCB) and working cell bank (WCB), as well as the necessary proprietary culture conditions to ensure genomic stability of iPSCs. Awardees will also have access to ASC’s CDMO services and new technologies SSelect (Single-step site-specific, efficient, large-cargo targeting) and ceBE-X (with no off-target gene editing). These comprehensive services will be provided at ASC’s newly established GMP suites in the the Bay Area, CA. The collaboration makes ASC’s key resources accessible to CIRM-funded programs.
“We are thrilled about this new partnership with CIRM. ASC’s clinical-grade iPSCs and comprehensive gene editing tools accelerate cell-based therapy projects and enable CIRM researchers to bring new regenerative medicine to the clinic faster and more cost-effectively,” stated Dr. Ruby Chen-Tsai, CEO of Applied StemCell.
“CIRM’s Industry Resource Partner Program aims to leverage the resources, experience, and expertise of industry partners to expedite CIRM-funded regenerative medicine research projects,” explained Dr. Shyam Patel, Senior Director of Business Development & Alliance Management at CIRM. “By providing access to its clinical iPSC clones, Applied StemCell joins our collaborative network of partners who share our unwavering commitment to advancing transformative regenerative medicine therapies for patients.”