Abstract

High Content Analysis using Stem Cells for Disease Modelling and Drug Discovery

Davide Danovi, Director, HipSci Cell Phenotyping, Kings College London

Self-renewing stem cell populations are increasingly considered as resources for cell therapy and tools for drug discovery. Hurdles may be grouped in: (i) availability of robust, homogeneous, and consistent cell populations as a starting point; (ii) appropriate understanding and use of chemical and physical microenvironments; (iii) development of assays that dissect the complexity of cell populations in health and disease while mirroring specific aspects of their behaviour. We discuss examples of relevant cell types that can be used in phenotype screening for disease modelling and drug discovery and introduce the human induced pluripotent stem cell initiative.