Partitioning of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells based on CD107a Expression

JHU Ref #: C15392

Value Proposition

• Improved Stem Cell Isolation: Enables efficient and scalable separation of stem cells predisposed to fat or bone tissue regeneration.
• Clinically Feasible: Uses magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS), a cost-effective and translational alternative to fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).
• Enhanced Therapy Potential: Optimized for autologous stem cell therapies targeting bone and soft tissue defects.

Unmet Need

• Each year, over 7.4 million surgeries are performed to address bone and soft tissue defects, costing billions and frequently leading to complications such as infection, ICU monitoring, and donor site morbidity.
• Current autologous stem cell therapies are limited by poorly defined progenitor cells, reducing efficacy for tissue regeneration.
• There is a critical need for stem cell therapies with improved progenitor cell isolation methods to maximize therapeutic potential and clinical outcomes.

Technology Description

• Johns Hopkins researchers identified CD107a, a novel cell surface biomarker, to partition multipotent mesenchymal progenitor stem cells from human perivascular stem/stromal cells (PSC). CD107a+ cells are primed for adipogenesis (fat cell differentiation), while CD107a− cells are specialized for osteogenesis (bone cell differentiation). The technology utilizes MACS for cell sorting, offering a simpler, cost-effective, and scalable solution compared to FACS, facilitating clinical translation

Stage of Development

• In vitro validation: CD107a+ and CD107a− cells demonstrated differentiation into adipose and bone tissue, respectively, under targeted culture conditions.
• MACS efficacy confirmed: Flow cytometry and PCR validated the successful isolation of distinct cell populations

Publication

Meyers, C. et al., “New Isolation Methods and Novel Markers of Human Perivascular Stem/Stromal Cells.” 9th Annual Maryland Stem Cell Symposium (2017). Poster Abstract 43.