Cell Guidance Systems Blog

3Rs: Replacing reducing refining animal-origin materials

3Rs: Replacing reducing refining animal-origin materials

Animal-origin reagents are essential for a multitude of research and biomanufacturing applications. Many important research breakthroughs and life-saving therapeutics would not be possible without them. However, there is increasing pressure for change.

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Listen up: Improving neurons for cochlear implants

Listen up: Improving neurons for cochlear implants

Hearing loss will affect many of us in our lives. In the US between 25-48 million are currently affected by sensorineural hearing loss. This is typically a result of the loss of hairs in the inner ear which initiates a cascade of secondary events including loss of specialized neurons called spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) which link these hairs to the brain. Cochlear implants can help restore hearing, but without functional SGNs to integrate the implant with the brain, their performance is limited.

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Growth factors, hormones, cytokines and chemokines

Growth factors, hormones, cytokines and chemokines

Growth factors are small glycoproteins both made and used by all animal cells to communicate with other cells and regulate themselves. Growth factors provide constant feedback to nearby and distant cells, modulating cell behaviour. In research labs, recombinant growth factors are widely used for cell culture. Growth factors such as EPO, BMP-2 and IL-2 are used clinically and novel therapeutics for diseases such as Parkinson’s, osteoarthritis and cancer are in development.

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