Sigma-Aldrich to launch modified HepaRG human liver cells

Sigma-Aldrich has announced the launch of its new genetically-modified HepaRG human liver cell line, which have been licensed from Biopredic.

Released through the company's Sigma Life Science business, the cells are designed for use in hepatotoxicity and drug metabolism assays and are currently undergoing beta-testing by multiple contract research and pharmaceutical organisations.

These modified cells will allow for the production of novel, precision assays for early prediction of hepatic liabilities, knocking out genes for critical xenobiotic sensors and drug transporters that regulatory agencies have highlighted for possible analysis. 

Dr Paul Brooks, global market manager at Sigma-Aldrich, said these new assays "represent a major improvement in the quality of data compared to the predominant way of studying liver drug metabolism and toxicity, which is through primary human hepatocytes recovered from donated cadavers".

The new cells are currently expected to be made publicly available during the first quarter of 2014.

Sigma Life Science previously made the editing of the mammalian genome easier through the launch of the inexpensive gene modification tool Sigma CRISPRs, launched in August 2013.