Lonza and California Stem Cell Introduce MotorPlate Human ESC-derived Motor Neuron Progenitors

Lonza and California Stem Cell, Inc. announce the first commercially available source of motor neuron progenitors derived from human embryonic stem cells. The MotorPlate™ Human ESC-derived Motor Neuron Progenitor products are functional, adherent motor neuron progenitors seeded in 96-well plates and shipped to customers fresh and ready-to-use with optimized media.

Neurology and drug discovery laboratories have traditionally relied on rodent models for
motor neuron function and disease research (ALS, SMA, etc.). No longer will researchers have to solely rely on these non-human models and perform challenging cross-species extrapolation. These unique cells offer researchers a more relevant in vitro model along with uniform biological response and consistent lot-to-lot performance not typically found in a difficult to isolate primary cell type.

Researchers will have a choice between two different versions of the MotorPlate™ – Standard and Mature. MotorPlate™ Standard 96 expresses motor neuron developmental markers and is suitable for both predictive toxicology and maturation studies. MotorPlate™ Mature 96 is a later stage, more mature version of the MotorPlate™ 96, displaying increased functional activity, and is better suited for functional assays, including electrophysiological recordings.

In April 2010, Lonza Inc. (USA) entered worldwide, exclusive licensing and supply agreements with California Stem Cell, Inc. The Lonza - California Stem Cell collaboration makes novel pluripotent stem cell products readily available to researchers worldwide. California Stem Cell’s proprietary methods for scalable production of multiple cell types from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC), combined with Lonza’s extensive primary cell expertise, specifically enhance screening tools and improve the predictive strength of current cell based models. The next product set to be launched is the NeuroPlate™ Human ESC-derived Neuronal Progenitors.