默克雪兰诺与Kadimastem达成干细胞药物筛选合作

ag2017

默克雪兰诺（Merck Serono）和以色列Kadimastem公司签署谅解备忘录（memorandum of understanding），旨在推进双方于2012年达成的干细胞为基础的药物筛选合作。
+ l, q) K" r7 B3 h' N+ N6 `6 |2 [! C; G
& f% r" K4 }* ~) Z3 FKadimastem公司已开发出了将干细胞分化为少突胶质细胞（oligodendrocytes）的技术，少突胶质细胞是一类脑细胞，能够产生髓磷脂（myelin）。髓磷脂是神经元外侧的脂质，起到保护和绝缘的作用。如果人类中枢神经系统出现故障，这一绝缘脂质就会降解，丧失功效，其中最常见的情况就是多发性硬化症（multiple sclerosis，MS）。: R! D* \2 h( }+ u) v# h

& a2 H, f$ ^+ d: N5 M2 a3 _5 YKadimastem公司和默克雪兰诺已经在利用基于干细胞的药物筛选技术，来发现能够刺激分化和髓鞘形成（myelination）的化合物，这类化合物，有望开发成为MS的新疗法。2 C! |& a/ [7 e4 P' x5 H2 P7 J: ~
英文原文：Merck Serono, Kadimastem collaborate on cell-based drug screening1 T% x+ v: E  n' X8 n* ~) Q

  F# S5 G5 s& A" S: v5 N. QNov 4 (Reuters) - Merck Serono and Israel's Kadimastem signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at advancing their stem cell-based drug screening collaboration initiated in 2012, the companies said on Monday.. L# S2 Y/ g2 X1 b) U8 B4 f6 b. e

8 O# q# ~2 M( O* Z4 P, x" kKadimastem has developed technologies to differentiate stem cells into oligodendrocytes, which are brain cells that produce myelin, the insulation for the neural wiring." x4 l4 p: v  T# ?" g: X: l& K
# L) G+ v( z4 _1 S  P
In multiple sclerosis (MS), oligodendrocytes are destroyed by the immune system. Kadimastem and Merck Serono have been leveraging cell-based drug screening technology to discover compounds that stimulate differentiation and myelination.
7 F- t, l4 |& C- p
" _9 \- r$ k, X  D; RSuch compounds may lead to new therapeutics for MS, mainly in those stages where current drugs that affect the immune system have no more therapeutic use.
! Q8 h' U/ g* f. }- Y' e+ t3 T, C; _
"Kadimastem offers us a unique, human-cell based, screening model allowing us to better identify promising compounds at an earlier stage in development," Annalisa Jenkins, head of global development and medical for Merck Serono, said.3 Q  a& E0 j- g

' A- ^+ y5 N/ z# HMichel Revel, Kadimastem chief scientific officer and developer of Merck Serono's MS drug Rebif, said he believes Kadimastem's stem cell technologies have tremendous potential for the discovery of new therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative diseases as well as diabetes.
# h9 S" c! j& ~. S3 q: Z5 h' _; Q$ M0 m  F% ~+ f! ~0 _6 Z
Merck Serono is the biopharmaceutical division of Germany's Merck KGaA.