FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics (FCDI), founded in 2004 by Dr. Jamie Thompson, provides a reliable commercial source of iPSC-derived terminally differentiated cells. These human cells are amenable to highly translational cell-based assays to bridge the gap between basic cell biology and clinical research.

In this Scientific Session, FCDI will review its neural portfolio, focusing on diseases of aging. Published and preliminary data will be presented demonstrating how FCDI’s disease models have been used to study neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). We will examine the benefits of co-culturing iCell® neuronal cells with iCell glia products, and demonstrate how stimulation of these glia products induces the secretion of pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules. Additionally, we will show how iCell Retinal Pigment Epithelial (RPE) cells have been used to model both wet and dry forms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Finally, we will review examples of successful drug screens using these disease-in-a-dish models. Together, this presentation will provide a proof-of-concept and conceptual foundation for the study of age-related diseases using FCDI’s healthy donor-derived neural portfolio, engineered disease models, and diseased donor-derived cells.

Lunch will be served