MAINSTREAM: EPSRC research and partnership hub for health technologies in Manufacturing Stem Cells
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Abstract
Mesenchymal stromal (or stem) cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells that can be easily isolated from the bone marrow or fat tissue. MSCs can turn into bone, cartilage, ligament, tendon and fat-forming cells and so there is a large interest for their use in tissue regeneration. For example, adding MSCs, as a cell therapy, to broken bones or damaged cartilage. With an ageing population where the health of the skeletal system affects the quality of everyday life, this is important. Also, as we age, we can develop diseases that may require transplant procedures. MSCs are immunomodulatory. This means that they can prevent transplant rejection, being used as a drug rather than for their regenerative potential. It is important to note that as MSCs are immunomodulatory, they can be an allogeneic therapy - i.e. cells can be banked by manufacturers and given to different patients, providing an "off-the-shelf" cellular therapy solution. MSCs are also important in the development of cancers, such as blood cancer. As blood cancers develop, the cancer cells signal to MSCs in the bone marrow and the MSCs alter the environment in favour of looking after the cancerous cells rather than healthy blood cells. We propose that MSCs can be delivered to complement chemotherapy, to regenerate healthy bone marrow and look after normal blood cells provided by bone marrow transplants. MSC-based therapies, therefore, hold massive potential to give us more years of high-quality life.
However, despite the first MSC-based clinical trial being >25 years ago, the therapies are not commonly used. This is due to the current lack of scalability. NICE looks at new therapies and medicines based on quality-adjusted life years (QALY) and typically views £20k per QALY as cost-effective. The price of MSC therapies is currently much higher than this because we cannot manufacture them efficiently. The problem is that as MSCs proliferate (or grow) in the lab, outside of the body, they age and either stop proliferating or they differentiate in an uncontrolled manner. This means we can only grow relatively few from each donor, keeping the price high through an inability to effectively scale up production and maintain MSCs in an undifferentiated state.
The MAINSTREAM EPSRC research and partnership hub for health technologies in Manufacturing Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine, Immunotherapy and Cancer, will solve this problem and make MSC therapies a reality in the UK and around the world. We have developed materials that tell MSCs to remain as stem cells, to proliferate for longer, to retain their immunomodulatory and regenerative properties and not to age or differentiate in culture. In the hub, we will link these materials and understanding to non-invasive characterisation and manufacturing technologies, so that we can scale-up our materials to an industrial level and study cell phenotype as they grow. To achieve this, it is critical that we link with medical doctors, cell manufacturers and the government. It is paramount that we also link to patients and engaged public to ensure that we focus on user needs and make relevant and usable cell therapies in a responsible manner that regulators and policy-makers are ready for.
The hub, and the UK leadership it will provide, will unlock the huge potential of these stem cells to give us not simply more years of life, but years of higher quality life.
However, despite the first MSC-based clinical trial being >25 years ago, the therapies are not commonly used. This is due to the current lack of scalability. NICE looks at new therapies and medicines based on quality-adjusted life years (QALY) and typically views £20k per QALY as cost-effective. The price of MSC therapies is currently much higher than this because we cannot manufacture them efficiently. The problem is that as MSCs proliferate (or grow) in the lab, outside of the body, they age and either stop proliferating or they differentiate in an uncontrolled manner. This means we can only grow relatively few from each donor, keeping the price high through an inability to effectively scale up production and maintain MSCs in an undifferentiated state.
The MAINSTREAM EPSRC research and partnership hub for health technologies in Manufacturing Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine, Immunotherapy and Cancer, will solve this problem and make MSC therapies a reality in the UK and around the world. We have developed materials that tell MSCs to remain as stem cells, to proliferate for longer, to retain their immunomodulatory and regenerative properties and not to age or differentiate in culture. In the hub, we will link these materials and understanding to non-invasive characterisation and manufacturing technologies, so that we can scale-up our materials to an industrial level and study cell phenotype as they grow. To achieve this, it is critical that we link with medical doctors, cell manufacturers and the government. It is paramount that we also link to patients and engaged public to ensure that we focus on user needs and make relevant and usable cell therapies in a responsible manner that regulators and policy-makers are ready for.
The hub, and the UK leadership it will provide, will unlock the huge potential of these stem cells to give us not simply more years of life, but years of higher quality life.
Organisations
- University of Glasgow (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Barcelona (Collaboration)
- Henry Royce Institute (Collaboration)
- Mainstay Medical (Collaboration)
- Schaefer (Project Partner)
- UNIVERSITY OF BATH (Project Partner)
- Nikon (Project Partner)
- Centre for Process Innovation (Project Partner)
- N8 Research Partnership (Project Partner)
- CMAC (Project Partner)
- LGC (Project Partner)
- CrestOptics (Project Partner)
- Impact Solutions (Project Partner)
- Histocell (Project Partner)
- Leeds Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unity (Project Partner)
- CRUK Scotland Institute (Project Partner)
- IBioIC (Project Partner)
- BMF Biotechnology (Project Partner)
- Regen CTC (Project Partner)
- Blood Cancer UK (Project Partner)
- UpNano GmbH (Project Partner)
- Zimmer & Peacock (Project Partner)
- Henry Royce Institute (Project Partner)
- NHS Innovation Hub (Project Partner)
- DRK-Blutspendedienst (Project Partner)
- Cytonome (Project Partner)
- SNBTS (Project Partner)
- L'Oréal (France) (Project Partner)
- InnoScot Health (Project Partner)
- EuroGCT (Project Partner)
- FRAME (Project Partner)
- The Alliance Scotland (Project Partner)
- Cell Guidance Systems (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Catapult - Connected Places (Project Partner)
- NMIS (Project Partner)
- UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH (Project Partner)
- British Hip Society (Project Partner)
Publications
Ligorio C
(2026)
Functional Biomaterials Through Biocooperation.
in Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
Tsigkos IA
(2025)
Sustained growth factor release driven cellular therapy indicates enhanced potential for regeneration upon mechanical injury.
in Biomaterials advances
Van Der Schans F
(2026)
In and out of the mitochondrial intermembrane space
in Protein Science
| Description | Forces of Change |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| URL | https://www.whatsonglasgow.co.uk/event/150202-science-lates:-forces-of-change/ |
| Description | Glasgow Science Festival |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | improve awareness of Science in the University of Glasgow |
| URL | https://www.gla.ac.uk/events/sciencefestival/aboutus/previousglasgowsciencefestivals/gsf2025/ |
| Description | Glasgow Science festival |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | There was positive feedback from the public and organisers, resulting in a request for a recurrent event. |
| URL | https://www.gla.ac.uk/events/sciencefestival/aboutus/previousglasgowsciencefestivals/gsf2025/ |
| Description | Impact workshop |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | The session inspired early career researchers to consider the appropriate timing for patenting within their projects and to begin identifying the novel elements of their research that may constitute intellectual property. |
| Description | Meet the Researcher Showcase 2025 |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | There was positive feedback from the public and organisers, resulting in a request to repeat our exhibition in the near future |
| URL | https://medicalresearchscotland.org.uk/events/meet-the-researcher-showcase-2025/ |
| Description | MyMitoMission PPIE event |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | The event invited patients living with mitochondrial disease. Feedback from attendees was very positive; patients reported that they learned a great deal about emerging science in the area |
| Description | Research awareness day in Morisson's academy |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | There was a positive feedback from the public and organisers resulting to a request for a recurrent event. |
| Description | Research visit to parliament with Animal Free Research UK |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Impact | Now policy announcements to move towards human cell containing models of disease. |
| Description | Researcher visit to parliament with the Alliance for Human Relevant Science |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Impact | This was on the lead up to new policy announcements for policy on moving away from animal testing in drug development. |
| Description | Scientific Ilustration Workshop |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Inspiring early career researchers to consider the impact high quality figures have when publishing as well as the consequences of using AI generated images. |
| Description | TPP workshop |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Inspiring early career researchers to consider the commercial potential and impact of the technology being developed. |
| Description | Visit of Maureen Burke MP |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Impact | We have worked with charities and MPs to help influence UK stance on animal testing - changes were announced in late 2025. |
| Description | Small funding for external speaker |
| Amount | £300 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Genewiz |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | Germany |
| Start | 09/2024 |
| End | 04/2025 |
| Description | Small funding for external speaker |
| Amount | £300 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Proteintech Group |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 09/2024 |
| End | 03/2025 |
| Description | Collaboration with University of Barcelona |
| Organisation | University of Barcelona |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This is a research exchange. We provide expertise and access to facilities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They provide researcher time on the project. |
| Impact | Presently, the project is just in the data acquisition phase. |
| Start Year | 2026 |
| Description | Mainstay Innovation |
| Organisation | Mainstay Medical |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Confidential discussions around the technologies we are developing. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Mainstay support innovation in our strategic grant portfolio, helping us to develop impact pathways and business plans. They are also involved as a member of our International Advisory Board for EP/X036049/1, providing guidance and recommendations to help steer the project. |
| Impact | Identification of IP, enhanced training of PDRAs in impact activities, work towards a business case. |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | The Royce |
| Organisation | Henry Royce Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Discussion on collaboration |
| Collaborator Contribution | Tour, discussion and agreement to co-produce a focus event. |
| Impact | Non yet beyond discussion. |
| Start Year | 2026 |