Benzinga | Jun 22, 2021 06:02AM EDT

NanoString Launches nCounter Stem Cell Characterization Panel To 'Advance the Development of Stem Cell Therapy'

NanoString Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:NSTG), a leading provider of life science tools for discovery and translational research, today announced the launch of the nCounter(r) Stem Cell Characterization Panel for the analysis and optimization of stem cell lines used in the development of potential novel therapeutics.

Recent breakthroughs in stem cell therapy, regenerative medicine, and CRISPR engineering have advanced the development of promising new treatments for debilitating diseases across a broad range of research areas, including neurological and cardiovascular disease, vision loss, and certain types of cancers. However, one of the biggest challenges with stem cell research is the high variability found within the development and manufacturing process that impacts the ability of the stem cells to differentiate and function. The new nCounter Stem Cell Characterization panel measures the eight essential components of stem cell biology and provides a novel, standardized assay for evaluating factors that influence and determine viability, functionality, and pluripotency.

"The simple, automated workflow and highly reproducible, digital results make the nCounter system an excellent fit for all types of stem cell applications," said Chad Brown, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing at NanoString. "With this panel, researchers have a powerful new tool that can quickly assess stem cell health to advance development efforts and optimize stem cell production, achieving robust results in less than 24 hours."

"The Process Development team at ARMI-BioFabUSA is very excited to use the nCounter Stem Cell Characterization panel across a number of our projects where we are developing human tissues composed of mature cells differentiated from stem cells. The Stem Cell Characterization Panel will give us greater insight into the differentiation status of our cells and the success of our current process development and manufacturing runs," said Damian Hile, senior process development scientist at Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute-BioFabUSA (ARMI-BioFabUSA).

The novel 770 gene panel is available for humans and mice and was designed at NanoString with input from leading stem cell experts. To learn more about the nCounter Stem Cell Characterization Panel, visit NanoString at the virtual 2021 ISSCR Conference June 21-26. In addition, NanoString is sponsoring the Cellular Identity: Pluripotency Dynamics session, with Joseph Beechem, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at NanoString.

To learn more about the panel and how the development of the panel can expedite stem cell research, visit the Brief nCounters stem cell experience.