Growing interest from industry
Seven years ago Swiss voters accepted a new law on stem cell research which provides the legal foundation for all research on embryonic stem cells. Today, a closer look at the Swiss biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry reveals that more work has been undertaken in research on adult stem cells, in particular so-called induced stem cells. Research on human embryonic stem cells started making significant progress only in the last two years.
The register of stem cell research projects in Switzerland, maintained at the Federal Office of Public Health since 2001, shows that research projects involving human embryonic stem cells (hES cells) in Switzerland are rare: in total, the register lists 16 projects. This figure underlines that up until now hES cell research is primarily a symbol of hope when it comes to treating cancer and diabetes. The great potential of these cells has not yet been realised even though stem cell biology has made enormous progress worldwide.
In Switzerland, the interest of researchers is growing, with more than half of the 16 projects having started in the last two years. "This is primarily related to a breakthrough in induced stem cells," says Martin Graf, Head of the Stem Cell Platform at Roche in Basel. Induced stem cells are all the rage in the field these days. They are gained by reprogramming adult cells so that they resemble hES cells - as a result researchers and CEOs dispose of a cell with more potential than an adult cell without having to destroy an embryo. For the time being it is not possible to use induced stem cells in clinical studies. Corresponding cell lines of patients exist only since 2006. Whoever does research on induced stem cells, often needs hES cells as reference, which explains the increase of projects in the FOPH register.
Three projects at Roche, one project at Novartis
Various pharmaceutical companies worldwide are interested in stem cells, for example Johnson&Johnson and Sanofi-Aventis. Novartis and Roche currently also have projects exploring the potential of these cells: Roche has three projects, Novartis one project. In the pharmaceutical industry, hES cells are used for example in drug development: tests have been devised which help to predict the effect of a substance with maximum precision and to identify possible side effects. Because these tests are based on human cells, they enable more precise predictions than tests involving animal cells. The aim is to recognise as early as possible in the development whether a substance has the potential for a blockbuster, but also to reduce animal testing.
Another project currently underway at Roche is looking for a new substance to treat depression and Alzheimer's. The existence of stem cells in the brain which continuously produce brain cells was proven only a few years ago. Scientists are now trying to find substances which stimulate these nerve stem cells to produce new brain cells. Such a substance could be used to treat Alzheimer patients, whose brain cells die slowly over the years. In this project, hES cells are not the active substance but the basis from which nerve stem cells, required for the experiments, are developed.
Swiss biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies continue to be very cautious in using hES cells to cure illnesses. The reason for this may be ethical, but there are also unsolved clinical problems since hES cells could trigger cancer in patients as corresponding tests with mice have shown. It is clear that no doctor would inject hES cells directly into the blood stream, the cells first need to differentiate before they are given to humans, for example as nerve stem cells. The problem is that it is impossible to know with 100% certainty that absolutely no hES cells are being administered at the same time. A complete separation of hES and mature cells is difficult to achieve.
No clinical trials involving hES cells in Switzerland
For this reason there are no clinical trials involving hES cells in Switzerland. Internationally, there are less than five trials. The Californian company Geron, whose researchers were looking to find treatments for injuries to the spinal cord with the help of hES cells, recently surprised the industry with its announcement that the study would be stopped for financial reasons. It is now looking for an investor who would be prepared to fund and continue this stem cell study.
A recent judgement of the European court did little to increase the interest of the industry in hES cells. The Court of Justice decided in mid-October that no patents on procedures involving human stem cells could be registered if they require the destruction of an embryo. The judgement will have no immediate impact on hES research projects in Switzerland because research is not affected by it. "But it is difficult to assess the long-term impact of the judgement," says Monika Bähner, leader of the stem cell group of Roche in Penzberg, Germany.
Fighting pulmonary fibrosis with adult stem cells
The research group in Penzberg focuses on adult stem cells and their potential in fighting severe illnesses. For example, it is researching the impact of such cells on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a fatal illness of the lung. "On the one hand, we want to advance our own stem cell projects," says Bähner. “On the other hand, it is important to gain knowledge which will help to assess future collaborations with biotech companies more accurately”. Roche and other pharmaceutical companies are increasingly interested in working with biotech companies. There are currently only 15 biotech companies pursuing stem cell research with adult and induced cells in Switzerland, but their number is growing. Mainly in the area of Geneva, many companies have opened their labs.