The food-giant Nestle’s Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS) has signed a long-term agreement with a US-based Cellular Dynamics International (CDI) for supplying variety of human cells which will be employed in NIHS’s research on maintaining health and preventing disease.
NIHS will use these cell products to develop cellular-models based on adult-derived induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC). iPSCs are obtained from cells reprogrammed from a non-embryonic terminally differentiated cells types, which allows to avoid the controversial and ethical issues surrounding embryonic stem cells without compromising on quality, a statement issued by the institute said.
These cells will be used to study molecular mechanism that govern the progression of obesity and diabetes. NIHS statement says the cells products will benefit several areas of investigation at the institute including metabolic health, gastrointestinal health and brain health and will facilitate building NIHS’s platform for developing relevant cellular models for health and disease.
NIHS is the first biomedical research institute focused on the creation of science-based targeted nutritional solutions to maintain health, to prevent prevent or manage chronic conditions and to promote healthy ageing. It works to understand relationship between nutrition, lifestyle, inherited factors and personal physiology.