{"id":33039,"date":"2026-01-09T20:25:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T20:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=33039"},"modified":"2026-01-12T20:31:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T20:31:34","slug":"stem-cell-advance-brings-off-the-shelf-living-drugs-closer-to-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/stem-cell-advance-brings-off-the-shelf-living-drugs-closer-to-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"Stem Cell Advance Brings Off-the-Shelf &#8216;Living Drugs&#8217; Closer to Reality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">UBC researchers have figured out how to reliably grow a crucial kind of immune cell from stem cells. The advance could make powerful cell therapies cheaper, faster and more widely available.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the first time, scientists have figured out how to reliably grow a key type of human immune cell from stem cells in the lab \u2014 a breakthrough that could help turn cutting-edge \u201cliving drugs\u201d into treatments that are cheaper, faster and easier to access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers at the University of British Columbia report that they can now steer human stem cells to become either of two powerful immune cell types, known as helper T cells and killer T cells, in a controlled, scalable way. Their findings, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/cell-stem-cell\/fulltext\/S1934-5909(25)00444-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in the journal Cell Stem Cell, tackle one of the major bottlenecks in bringing engineered cell therapies to more patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Engineered cell therapies, including CAR-T treatments for cancer, work by reprogramming a patient\u2019s own immune cells so they can recognize and destroy disease. These therapies have produced dramatic results for some people with otherwise untreatable cancers, earning them the nickname \u201cliving drugs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But today\u2019s cell therapies are custom-made for each patient, using that person\u2019s own immune cells. That means weeks of complex, individualized manufacturing, high costs and limited availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEngineered cell therapies are transforming modern medicine,\u201d co-senior author Peter Zandstra,\u00a0a professor\u00a0and director of the UBC School of Biomedical Engineering, said in a news release. \u201cThis study addresses one of the biggest\u00a0challenges\u00a0in\u00a0making these\u00a0lifesaving\u00a0treatments accessible to more people,\u00a0showing\u00a0for the first time a reliable and scalable way to grow multiple immune cell types.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The long-term vision in the field is to move away from one-patient-at-a-time manufacturing and toward off-the-shelf products made in advance from renewable sources such as stem cells. Stem cells can, in principle, be grown in large quantities and then guided to become specific cell types on demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is exactly the direction researchers are aiming for, noted co-senior author Megan Levings, a professor of surgery and biomedical engineering at UBC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe long-term goal is to have off-the-shelf cell therapies that are manufactured ahead of time and on a larger scale from a renewable source like stem cells,\u201d she said in the news release. \u201cThis would make treatments much more cost-effective and ready when patients need them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To get there, scientists need to be able to generate the right mix of immune cells. Cancer-fighting cell therapies work best when both killer T cells and helper T cells are present. Killer T cells directly attack infected or cancerous cells. Helper T cells act more like conductors, sensing threats, activating other immune cells and helping immune responses last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While researchers have made progress turning stem cells into killer T cells, reliably producing helper T cells has remained out of reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHelper T cells are essential for a strong and lasting immune response,\u201d Levings added. \u201cIt\u2019s critical that we have both to maximize the efficacy and flexibility of off-the-shelf therapies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the new study, the UBC team uncovered how to solve this long-standing problem by carefully adjusting the biological signals that guide stem cells as they mature into immune cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They focused on a developmental signal called Notch, which is known to be important early in immune cell formation. The researchers discovered that while Notch is needed at the start, keeping this signal switched on for too long actually blocks helper T cells from forming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By learning when and how to dial this signal up or down, the scientists could control the fate of the developing cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBy precisely tuning when and how much this signal is reduced, we were able to direct stem cells to become either helper or killer T cells,\u201d added co-first author Ross Jones, a research associate in the Zandstra Lab. \u201cWe were able to do this in controlled laboratory conditions that are directly applicable in real-world biomanufacturing, which is an essential step toward turning this discovery into a viable therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just making cells that look like helper T cells under a microscope is not enough. They also have to behave like the real thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team showed that their lab-grown helper T cells carried markers of healthy, mature cells and displayed a wide variety of immune receptors \u2014 the molecular \u201cantennae\u201d that allow T cells to recognize different threats. The cells could also specialize into different helper T cell subtypes that play distinct roles in the immune system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese cells look and act like genuine human helper T cells,\u201d added co-first author Kevin Salim, a UBC doctoral student in the Levings Lab. \u201cThat\u2019s critical for future therapeutic potential.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Being able to generate both helper and killer T cells from stem cells \u2014 and to control the balance between them \u2014 could make future stem cell\u2013derived therapies more powerful and more flexible. For example, researchers could design cell products tailored for different diseases, or adjust the ratio of helper to killer cells to fine-tune how strong and how long an immune response lasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is a major step forward in our ability to develop scalable and affordable immune cell therapies,\u201d Zandstra added. \u201cThis technology now forms the foundation for testing the role of helper T cells in supporting the elimination of cancer cells and generating new types of helper T cell-derived cells, such as regulatory T cells, for clinical applications.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regulatory T cells are another specialized immune cell type that helps keep the immune system in balance and prevent it from attacking the body\u2019s own tissues. In the future, stem cell\u2013derived regulatory T cells could be used to treat autoimmune diseases or to help transplanted organs be accepted by the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For now, the UBC team\u2019s work is a key step toward that broader vision. By showing that stem cells can be reliably turned into both major T cell types in conditions suitable for large-scale manufacturing, they have brought the idea of off-the-shelf living drugs closer to reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If future studies confirm the safety and effectiveness of these lab-grown cells in animals and, eventually, in people, patients with cancer, infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders could one day receive powerful, pre-made immune cell therapies without the long wait or high price tag that come with today\u2019s custom treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.ubc.ca\/news\/stem-cell-engineering-breakthrough-paves-way-for-next-generation-living-drugs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">The University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>UBC researchers have figured out how to reliably grow a crucial kind of immune cell from stem cells. The advance could make powerful cell therapies cheaper, faster and more widely available.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[275],"class_list":["post-33039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science","tag-university-of-british-columbia"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"UBC researchers have figured out how to reliably grow a crucial kind of immune cell from stem cells. The advance could make powerful cell therapies cheaper, faster and more widely available.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33039"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33039\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33052,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33039\/revisions\/33052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}