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The
Australian Stem Cell Centre (ASCC) is the
largest most comprehensive stem cell research organisation in
Australia. The Centre’s research is focused predominantly in the
area of blood and heart diseases as well as exploring the
fundamental challenges of stem cell biology that may in the
future be applicable to a wide range of diseases and injuries.
Based at Monash University campus in Melbourne, it commenced
operations in 2003, in partnership with nine leading Australian
research institutes and universities.
The ASCC’s principal objective is to integrate a national
multi-institution research and discovery program to develop
treatments for serious diseases through the application of stem
cells and related technologies. A core role of the ASCC is to
attract and secure commercial partners to advance outstanding
research outcomes towards clinical trials initially, and
eventually into the hands of medical practitioners for the
benefit of their patients.
The ASCC has research projects across a
range of four platform technologies combined with therapeutic
programs in haematology and cardiac disease and a pilot program
in respiratory disease. Haematology is currently the most
comprehensive of these programs and in the very near term will
comprise several projects in multiple institutes and states.
This program represents a cross-disciplinary, multi-institution
approach to creating a new paradigm in the supply of blood
products such as red blood cells and platelets. The ASCC is also
investigating the use of therapeutics for congestive heart
failure which may offer benefits to an extremely large and
growing patient population.
ASCC Research Services, a division of the ASCC provides
important support to the Australian stem cell community,
including: adult and embryonic stem cell training; provision of
boutique proteins that are required for stem cell growth,
maintenance, and differentiation; derivation of new human
embryonic stem cell lines and applications of proprietary
in-house technologies for the creation of improved cells lines;
and implementation of a Flow Cytometry Facility which, at
present, is fully subscribed.
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