This article was originally published in the January 2023 edition of Héma-Québec’s Magazine. All issues of the Magazine are available here.

An innovative test developed by Héma-Québec

Before a stem cell transplant is carried out, we must ensure the quality of the cells that will be used. This is why their ability to reproduce in a setting similar to that of the person receiving the transplant is measured in the laboratory. In general, it takes about 14 days for cells to divide into colonies that can be counted under the microscope. This is called the colony growth test.

Although the ability of this test to assess the likelihood of a successful transplant is recognized, the time it takes can be problematic when the patient’s condition is critical. That is why there is an interest in changing the approach.

The idea proposed by Héma-Québec researchers Sonia Néron (now retired) and Carl Simard is to simplify the approach: “Instead of measuring cell proliferation,” says Renée Bazin, Scientific Director, “we measure their intention to multiply.”

This new test is based on the same concept as the current technique, where a stem cell sample is subjected to a battery of signals that recreates the context of the human body. Instead of waiting for new cells to appear, we look for changes in a protein called STAT5, indicating the beginning of the cell activation and reproduction process. The intention to multiply is therefore measured, somewhat as if the value of a seed was judged based on its germination without waiting for the appearance of a stem and leaves.

However, the modification of the STAT5 protein appears within minutes of sample stimulation. The new test developed at Héma-Québec is therefore much faster than the current test. And all the verifications that have been done show that it is just as accurate and reliable! Tests have already proven the correlation between this new test and the old one. The correlation with graft take has yet to be verified. This is what will be done in the coming months and years.

That said, there has already been considerable interest in presenting the test at conferences and international expert meetings, leading to the launch of a multicentric study to test and standardize the method in cell therapy laboratories in Canada, the US, Europe and Asia. “Our ambition,” Bazin says, “is to see our test become the new global standard.”