Industrial Research Limited and Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology to collaborate on stem cell research
Singapore,25 September 2005

First landmark agreement signed between Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) and New Zealand's Industrial Research Limited (IRL) to identify potent carbohydrate molecules for stem cell development

1. New Zealand's Industrial Research Limited (IRL) and Singapore's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) announced an agreement to work on stem cell research to develop new therapeutics for bone healing. Under the agreement, IMCB will provide IRL with carbohydrate molecules which have been identified as having effects on pluripotent stem cells. IRL, with its extensive glycoactive and glycotherapeutic technologies and facilities, will determine the structures and provide synthetic molecules and their variants for pre-clinical research and applications.

2. The Stem Cell and Tissue Repair laboratory, headed by Drs Victor Nurcombe and Simon Cool, Principal Investigators in IMCB, will work closely with IRL. The lab focuses on identifying, isolating and purifying carbohydrate molecules or sugars that have evident effects on stem cell growth and development. Dr Nurcombe said, "This tie-up with IRL will allow us to use synthesized molecules in our future research, which will have an added advantage as they do not originate from animals. This has therapeutic implications".

3. Explaining more about how these molecules work, Dr Cool added "These carbohydrate molecules, called heparan sulphates, have this fantastic ability to cause stem cells to grow and differentiate when they are present in the extracellular environment of the cells. A combination of different types of sugars can be used on stem cells to make them grow faster or mature into different cell types. Bone healing for example, can be hastened if we can apply the correct types of sugars to make bone stem cells grow faster."

4. "IRL has one of only a few chemistry teams in the world with the expertise to work in this area. Stem cell therapies are recognised as the next major leap in the biotechnology race to cure human disease. We recognised IMCB as a leader in this field and are thrilled to be starting this major new collaboration at the forefront of science," said Dr Richard Furneaux, leader of the Carbohydrate Chemistry team at IRL.

5. Professor Sir David Lane, Executive Director of IMCB said, "I am delighted to see the collaboration between Singapore and New Zealand come to fruition. During my visit to Wellington earlier this year, I learned that two small molecule carbohydrate drugs developed by IRL and their partners were in human clinical trials. We hope that the agreement will help drive our work at IMCB in this direction. Singapore is keen to work with its scientific neighbour and it is great to see this collaboration developing in the wake of Prime Minister Lee's visit to New Zealand."

6. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), which has supported IRL's work with IMCB, says the agreement will be a foundation for broader research and development partnership with Singapore. "The agreement with IRL endorses our view that New Zealand's biotechnology capabilities are world-class," says Chris Boalch, NZTE Sector Director Biotechnology. "It is a significant achievement for IRL and also provides a stepping stone for further scientific collaboration between the two countries."

7. There has also been a greater appreciation internationally that carbohydrates play crucial roles in biological systems. In New Zealand, IRL is active in the rational design of new drugs, "glycotherapeutics", derived from this science. Recently they opened a new facility, GlycoSyn, it undertakes the manufacturing of such drug candidates at a quality suitable for use in human clinical trials.