ec23 enables consistent and reliable differentiation of stem cells to neurons

LGC Standards is delighted to announce the addition of ec23®, a stable synthetic retinoid used for stem cell differentiation, to its portfolio of life science research and drug discovery products. ec23 is a proprietary molecule designed by the scientists at Reinnervate, an innovative life sciences company, who have agreed an arrangement with LGC Standards for the distribution of ec23 to scientists across Europe.

A synthetic molecule, ec23 is designed to mediate the controlled and reproducible differentiation of cells in culture. ec23 has been shown to be a potent inducer of neurogenesis and is entirely stable enabling it to modulate cell differentiation predictably and consistently. With many other naturally occurring retinoids degradation over time and on exposure to light leads to difficulties in assessing the concentration that researchers need to use in their cell differentiation experiments, a problem that is eliminated through the use of ec23, which for ease of use, is supplied in a clear glass vial.

Jeffrey Anthony, Manager of the Biologicals and Life Sciences business at LGC Standards commented: We are particularly pleased to add the first of Reinnervate’s proprietary small molecules to our range of life science research products. The ease of use, reproducibility and consistency of results available with ec23 should offer researchers some real advantages over currently available retinoic acids such as ATRA for example. We are looking forward to the expansion of Reinnervate’s small molecule portfolio and to making these innovative products available to the life science research community.

Professor Stefan Przyborski, Reinnervate’s Chief Scientific Officer, said: “The ability to control the development of cells and tissues in a predictable way is a major challenge in stem cell biology. Researchers require molecules that induce reliable and reproducible biological activity resulting in consistent modes of cell differentiation. This is especially important where reproduction of cell behaviour is required, for example, the consistent differentiation of neurons from stem cells for use in drug development and toxicity screening. During its development, ec23 demonstrated clearly its potential in this area and we are therefore very pleased to make it available more widely to researchers in both academia and industry.”