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Health

Stem Cell Research

Our research is focused on a technology driven system for the utilization of stem cells in general, and specifically to improve the quality of life in individuals with lifelong threatening health issues caused by illness, injury or ageing. The work is a frontier investigation across disciplines, that underpins state-of-art biotechnology, fostering the development and implementation of existing and new technologies in the fields of stem cell biology, tissue engineering, dermatology and immunology, with an underlying health enhancement concept.

Derivation of stem cell lines
Working in concordance with ethical and regulatory issues in different EU countries, defining the most relevant assays for testing and validating safety and efficacy, following cGMP requirements and minimizing use of animal-based products and testing on animals.

Disease modeling
We combine novel gene editing technique (CRISPR-Cas9), stem cell technology, tissue engineering, clinical dermatology and immunology and mathematics for generation of highly specific in vitro models of genetic diseases.

Tissue engineering
Development of 3D human full thickness skin model with a functional permeability barrier that is highly reproducible and has the potential to be easily scaled up and adapted to cGMP requirements for the use in drug development as well as regenerative and aesthetic medicine

Clinical grade human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines

Despite important recent advances in the generation of hESC lines in the effort to generate lines that might be suitable for therapeutic use, there is still some way to go in the development of reliable and efficient methods to allow advancement towards hESC for clinical use, and in the directed differentiation of hESC down particular lineages.

A number of groups world-wide have reported hESC derivation using a variety of conditions, but few have reported derivation under conditions that would normally be regarded as suitable for human use. Within the last 12 months we brought up our derivation technique to clinical grade acceptable level and using this approach we derived successfully under defined xeno-free conditions nine hESC lines. Two normal lines were derived from frozen embryos, whereas seven disease-specific lines were derived from fresh post-preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) embryos.

Disease-specific hESC lines

hESC lines derived from human embryos with genetic mutations following PGD can provide an inexhaustible source of cells that can be differentiated into many cell types and used to further understand the molecular basis of serious diseases for which PGD has been undertaken. Guy’s has the largest and most successful PGD unit in the UK, through which we have privileged access to embryos affected by a range of genetic disorders, including Huntington disease, spinal muscular atrophy, Fragile-X syndrome, and a range of sex linked disorders such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Three out of seven disease-specific lines derived within the last 12 months carry little characterized mutation in Von Hippel-Lindau gene and, at our knowledge, are unique in the world.

King's hES cell lines catalogue

Please see below for the King's hES cell lines catalogue.

For more information and availability contact:
Dr Dusko Ilic
Email: dusko.ilic@kcl.ac.uk

Recent publications

  • Stephenson EL, Braude PR (2010) Derivation of the King's College London human embryonic stem cell lines. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim. 94, 1529, e11-4. [PubMed]
  • Stephenson E, Ogilvie CM, Patel H, Cornwell G, Jacquet L, Kadeva N, Braude P, Ilic D (2010) Safety paradigm: genetic evaluation of therapeutic grade human embryonic stem cells. J R Soc Interface. 6;7 Suppl 6:S677-88. [PubMed]
  • Ilic D, Stephenson E, Wood V, Jacquet L, Stevenson D, Petrova A, et al. Derivation and feeder-free propagation of human embryonic stem cells under xeno-free conditions. Cytotherapy. 2011 Oct 27. [Epub ahead of print] [PubMed]
  • Murdoch A, Braude P, Courtney A, Brison D, Hunt C, Lawford-Davies J, Moore H, Stacey G, Sethe S; for the Procurement Working Group of the National Clinical hESC Forum. The Procurement of Cells for the Derivation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines for Therapeutic Use: Recommendations for Good Practice. Stem Cell Rev. 2011 Jun 14. [Epub ahead of print] [PubMed]

King's hES cell lines catalogue

King’s number

hES cell line

Grade

KCL001

Normal

Research

KCL002

Normal

Research

KCL003

Cystic Fibrosis

Research

KCL004

Normal

Research

KCL005

Huntington’s Disease

Research

KCL006

Normal

Research

KCL008

Huntington’s Disease

Research

KCL009

Translocation (7:12)

Research

KCL011

Normal

Research

KCL012

Huntington’s Disease

Research

KCL013

Huntington’s Disease

Research

KCL015

Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome

Research

KCL016

Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome

Research

KCL017

Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome

Research

KCL018

Muscular Dystrophy type 1

Research

KCL019

Normal

Research

KCL020

Normal

Research

KCL021

Cystic Fibrosis

Research

KCL022

Normal

Research

KCL023

Normal

Research

KCL024

Neurofibromatosis type 1

Research

KCL025

Neurofibromatosis type 1

Research

KCL026

Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Research

KCL027

Huntington’s Disease

Research

KCL028

Huntington’s Disease

Research

KCL029

Cystic Fibrosis & Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome

Research

KCL030

Beta-thalassemia

Research

KCL031

Normal

 

KCL032

Normal

 

KCL033

Normal

Clinical

KCL034

Normal

Clinical

KCL035

Beta-thalassemia

Research

KCL036

Huntington’s Disease

Research

KCL037

Normal

 

KCL038

Normal

 

 

Publications

2016

Ilic D, Ogilvie C: Concise Review: hESC - What have we done? What are we doing? Where are we going?Stem Cells 2016 Jun 28. [Epub ahead of print]

Ilic D, Vicovac L, Nikolic M, Lazic Ilic E. Human amniotic membrane grafts in therapy of chronic non-healing wounds. Br Med Bull 2016;117:59-67

Miere C, Devito L, Ilic D. Sendai Virus-Based Reprogramming of Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells from Umbilical Cord Wharton's Jelly into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2016;1357:33-44.

Jacquet L, Wood V, Kadeva N, Cornwell G, Codognotto S, Stephenson E, Ilic D. Generation of KCL040 clinical grade human embryonic stem cell line. Stem Cell Res 2016;16:173-176

Hewitson H, Wood V, Kadeva N, Cornwell G, Codognotto S, Stephenson E, Ilic D. Generation of KCL024 research grade human embryonic stem cell line carrying a mutation in NF1 gene. Stem Cell Res2016;16:243-245

2015

Ilic D, Devito L, Miere C, Codognotto S: Human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells in clinical trials. Br Med Bull 2015;116:19-27.

Jacquet L, Neueder A, Földes G, Karagiannis P, Hobbs K, Jolinon N, Mioulane M, Sakai T, Harding SE, Ilic D. Three Huntington’s disease specific mutation-carrying human embryonic stem cell lines have stable number of CAG repeats upon in vitro differentiation into cardiomyocytes. PLoS One 2015;10:e0126860.

Cvoro A, Devito L, Milton FA, Noli L, Zhang A, Filippi C, Sakai K, Suh JH, Sieglaff DH, Dhawan A, Sakai T, Ilic D, Webb P. A Thyroid Hormone Receptor/KLF9 Axis in Human Hepatocytes and Pluripotent Stem Cells. Stem Cells 2015;33:416-428.

Badraiq H, Devito L, Ilic D. Isolation and Expansion of Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells from Umbilical Cord Under Chemically Defined Conditions. Methods Mol Biol 2015;1283:65-71.

2014

Petrova A, Cell A, Jacquet L, Dafou D, Crumrine D, Hupe M, Arno M, Hobbs C, Cvoro A, Karagiannins P, Devito L, Sun R, Adame LC, Vaughan R, McGrath JA, Mauro TM, Ilic D: 3D in vitro model of a functional epidermal permeability barrier from hESC and iPSC. Stem Cell Reports 2014;2:675-689.

Devito L, Petrova A, Miere C, Codognotto S, Ogilvie C, Khalaf Y, Ilic D. Cost-Effective Master Cell Bank Validation of Multiple Clinical-Grade Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines from a Single Donor. Stem Cell Transl Med 2014;3:1116-1124.

Devito L, Badraiq H, Galleu A, Taheem DK, Codognotto S, Siow R, Khalaf Y, Briley A, Shennan A. Poston L, McGrath J, Gentleman E, Dazzi F, Ilic D. Wharton’s jelly MSC derived under chemically defined animal product-free low oxygen conditions are rich in MSCA-1+ subpopulation. Regen Med 2014;9:723-732.

Sun R, Celli A, Crumrine D, Hupe M, Adame LC, Pennypecker SD, Park K, Uchida Y, Feingold KR, Elias PM, Ilic D, Mauro TM. Lowered Humidity Produces Human Epidermal Equivalents with Enhanced Barrier Properties. Tissue Engineering Part C Methods 2015;21:15-22.

Publications

2016

Ilic D, Ogilvie C: Concise Review: hESC - What have we done? What are we doing? Where are we going?Stem Cells 2016 Jun 28. [Epub ahead of print]

Ilic D, Vicovac L, Nikolic M, Lazic Ilic E. Human amniotic membrane grafts in therapy of chronic non-healing wounds. Br Med Bull 2016;117:59-67

Miere C, Devito L, Ilic D. Sendai Virus-Based Reprogramming of Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells from Umbilical Cord Wharton's Jelly into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2016;1357:33-44.

Jacquet L, Wood V, Kadeva N, Cornwell G, Codognotto S, Stephenson E, Ilic D. Generation of KCL040 clinical grade human embryonic stem cell line. Stem Cell Res 2016;16:173-176

Hewitson H, Wood V, Kadeva N, Cornwell G, Codognotto S, Stephenson E, Ilic D. Generation of KCL024 research grade human embryonic stem cell line carrying a mutation in NF1 gene. Stem Cell Res2016;16:243-245

2015

Ilic D, Devito L, Miere C, Codognotto S: Human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells in clinical trials. Br Med Bull 2015;116:19-27.

Jacquet L, Neueder A, Földes G, Karagiannis P, Hobbs K, Jolinon N, Mioulane M, Sakai T, Harding SE, Ilic D. Three Huntington’s disease specific mutation-carrying human embryonic stem cell lines have stable number of CAG repeats upon in vitro differentiation into cardiomyocytes. PLoS One 2015;10:e0126860.

Cvoro A, Devito L, Milton FA, Noli L, Zhang A, Filippi C, Sakai K, Suh JH, Sieglaff DH, Dhawan A, Sakai T, Ilic D, Webb P. A Thyroid Hormone Receptor/KLF9 Axis in Human Hepatocytes and Pluripotent Stem Cells. Stem Cells 2015;33:416-428.

Badraiq H, Devito L, Ilic D. Isolation and Expansion of Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells from Umbilical Cord Under Chemically Defined Conditions. Methods Mol Biol 2015;1283:65-71.

2014

Petrova A, Cell A, Jacquet L, Dafou D, Crumrine D, Hupe M, Arno M, Hobbs C, Cvoro A, Karagiannins P, Devito L, Sun R, Adame LC, Vaughan R, McGrath JA, Mauro TM, Ilic D: 3D in vitro model of a functional epidermal permeability barrier from hESC and iPSC. Stem Cell Reports 2014;2:675-689.

Devito L, Petrova A, Miere C, Codognotto S, Ogilvie C, Khalaf Y, Ilic D. Cost-Effective Master Cell Bank Validation of Multiple Clinical-Grade Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines from a Single Donor. Stem Cell Transl Med 2014;3:1116-1124.

Devito L, Badraiq H, Galleu A, Taheem DK, Codognotto S, Siow R, Khalaf Y, Briley A, Shennan A. Poston L, McGrath J, Gentleman E, Dazzi F, Ilic D. Wharton’s jelly MSC derived under chemically defined animal product-free low oxygen conditions are rich in MSCA-1+ subpopulation. Regen Med 2014;9:723-732.

Sun R, Celli A, Crumrine D, Hupe M, Adame LC, Pennypecker SD, Park K, Uchida Y, Feingold KR, Elias PM, Ilic D, Mauro TM. Lowered Humidity Produces Human Epidermal Equivalents with Enhanced Barrier Properties. Tissue Engineering Part C Methods 2015;21:15-22.

Project status: Ongoing