One goal of medical research on hematopoiesis--the growth and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells within the bone marrow--is to duplicate that process in vitro for treatment of disease. Current methods are plagued by the inherent complexity of the process--for example, that the same growth factors that stimulate stem-cell growth can also stimulate unwanted differentiation. A method that could remove and replace selected growth factors would be invaluable to the practical use of in vitro hematopoiesis. Bend Research, a pioneer in the development of innovative uses for hollow- fiber technology, proposes to develop a hollow-fiber membrane adsorbent (HFMA) that selectively removes hematopoietic growth factors. In Phase I of this program we would test the feasibility of the concept by removing Interleukin-1 (IL-1) from stem-cell culture medium using antibodies for IL- 1 immobilized in the pores of the hollow fibers. In Phase II, we would develop an entire stem-cell-culture system in which the HFMAs would control the removal and addition of specific growth factors. Ultimately, this could lead to commercialization of a system for growing either stem cells or specific blood-cell lineages for such therapies as stem-cell replacement in cancer treatment or treatment of immunodeficiency disorders.
