Growth factors are proteins that bind to receptors on the cell surface with the primary result of activating cellular proliferation and/or differentiation. Many growth factors are quite versatile; some stimulate cellular division in numerous different cell types while others are specific to a particular cell-type. These protein factors or cytokines are produced with increasing yields and purity in their recombinant form for use as therapeutic drugs


Stem Cell Proliferation Factor, SCPF, is a growth factor that stimulates stem cells to proliferate. SCPF has been shown to expand hematopoietic, mesodermal and mesenchymal stem cells to proliferate without differentiating, while maintaining their multi-potentiality.


One of the characteristics of stem cells, whether embryonic, hematopoietic, pancreatic , etc. is their rarity. Stem cells are currently grown using a combination of cytokines, however, these cytokine cocktails do not keep cells in their primitive state and reproduction of results is difficult. The ability to expand the number of stem cells obtained from a stem cell harvest will increase the therapeutically beneficial number of these cells; allow them to be maintained in culture for extended periods of time and allow genetic manipulation to treat diseases such as Sickle Cell Disease and many others.


Scientists at Morphogenesis have identified and characterized the unique SCPF bioactivity produced by cell lines of two different species and is pursuing the development of these new regulators under several collaborative arrangements.