Singapore: ReproCELL, which commercializes human pluripotent stem cells as an effective tool for drug discovery and development, will start commercializing its human iPS-derived neurons in which an Alzheimer's disease-related gene has been incorporated.

ReproCELL's scientists have successfully incorporated a gene related to Alzheimer's disease using homologous recombinant genetic engineering technology into undifferentiated human iPS cells and then differentiated them into neurons. In these cells, it has been confirmed that amyloid beta 42 is accumulated at higher levels compared to normal neurons. This phenomena is similar to what is observed in neurons of Alzheimer's patients.

According to ReproCELL, the newly developed iPS cells can be useful for drug screening to identify new therapeutic molecules to treat Alzheimer's disease patients. The company will start marketing the cells on June 13, 2012. Details of data of the cells will be announced at the 10th annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research at Yokohama, Japan, being held from June 13 to June 16.

ReproCELL has successfully launched iPS-derived cardiomyocytes for cardiac toxicity testing, followed by the launch of iPS-derived dopaminergic neurons and hepatocytes for efficacy and toxicity screening of drug candidates. This is the fourth product of the company using iPS technology and the first cellular disease model incorporating a disease-related gene.