The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is testing the CellQualia Intelligent Cell Processing System, a novel robotic robot that cultivates stem cells (MHRA). This robotic technology has the potential to offer patients with a variety of ailments safer and more affordable therapies. Throughout the globe today, outside of Japan, where it was created, it is the only one. It is only possible for stem cells to differentiate into various cell types with specialised functions. Because they can replace cells that have been lost or destroyed by disease, they are particularly helpful in medicine because they can, for instance, restore eyesight following corneal disease.
Therapeutics based on stem cells are currently not widely available since they are challenging to produce. This means that rather than trying to undo the harm that has already been done, most treatments for degenerative diseases concentrate on decreasing the amount of damage. This may change as a result of the technology being studied at the MHRA, giving people suffering from severe illnesses like Parkinson’s new hope.
This trial is a component of an international research programme based in the UK that was launched in 2021. It is a collaboration between the MHRA, the Scottish Regenerative Medicine start-up SAKARTA, and the Tokyo-based electrical equipment manufacturer Sinfonia Technology Co. Ltd., with funding from the Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe (FBRI). Over the course of a year, the UK Stem Cell Bank will test the robot to determine if the cells generated by the completely automated Intelligent Cell Processing System meet the requirements for being employed in the creation of potentially life-saving medicines.
“Cell-based treatments have the potential to treat, and in some cases, cure, a wide range of illnesses, but their accessibility has been constrained since they are sometimes extremely challenging to produce. “Just two machines in operation worldwide, including the new Intelligent Cell Processing System being examined at the MHRA, might greatly simplify this production process and hence change the accessibility of these medicines. Also, it may lessen human error in this process and result in a more reliable end product, leading to safer and more efficient treatments. “We are eager to share the findings of our testing.”
According to Steve Barclay, secretary of health and social services, “this ground-breaking new robot has the potential to expedite access to more affordable, safer stem cell therapies. This breakthrough technology has the potential to change the lives of tens of thousands of people suffering from Parkinson’s and other fatal diseases by replacing cells that have been lost or damaged. “The UK is only the second country where this technology has been tested, thanks to a partnership between the MHRA and industry. It is yet another example of how clinical research is ensuring patients benefit from the very latest scientific breakthroughs.”
All medicines and medical devices in the UK are subject to regulation by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which makes sure they function and are tolerably safe. All of our work is supported by solid, fact-based judgements that determine whether the advantages outweigh any hazards. An intriguing new company called SAKARTA Ltd is developing automated cell therapy (and stem cell) manufacturing technologies. They are creating a robotic platform with important partners in Scotland and Japan to give cutting-edge therapies for degenerative diseases.
SINFONIA TECHNOLOGY Co., Ltd. is a business that primarily produces and sells power electronics and motion equipment.
