World's first stem cell factory

Swedish biotechnology company Cellartis AB is going to build the world's first factory for mass production of human stem cells. The factory will be located in Dundee in Scotland, and is a result of co-operation between Cellartis, the Scottish Government and the University of Glasgow.

100 people will be employed in leading-edge stem cell research and production in Dundee thanks to a £10.7 million research (ca. 150 million SEK), development and manufacturing initiative in the city. The project is jointly financed by Cellartis, the innovation fund ITI Life Sciences (The Intermediate Technology Institute Life Sciences Stem Cell Programme), and Executive's Regional Selective Assistance programme.

Stem cells are primal cells present in all multi-cellular organisms, and are able to develop into a wide range of specialized cell types. Stem cells in a developing embryo are able to differentiate into all of the specialized embryonic tissues. Stem cells in adult organisms act as a repair system for the body.

Cellartis was founded in 2001. The company was originally working with cell therapy. At the present Cellartis is focused on the market for testing of medicine. Pharmaceutical industry is the main consumer of stem cells, and the demand is growing rapidly. US analysts have estimated that this market will reach 100 billion USD per year in 2015, when cell therapy will be sufficiently developed and widely used, including for treatment of diseases which at the present are incurable.