CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF ADVANCING STEM CELL RESEARCH

2024 marks a significant milestone in WiCell’s history as we celebrate our 25th anniversary. Reflecting on our growth and continued leadership in stem cell banking, cGMP characterization, and cell line validation, we’re proud to remain a trusted lab partner to researchers in the regenerative medicine and cell and gene therapy communities. Looking ahead to 2025, we are excited to build on this legacy and continue to support the innovations that will shape the future of science.

Founded on September 15, 1999, WiCell has been a trusted partner to stem cell researchers for over 25 years, combining its nonprofit, academic roots with a deep understanding of industry needs and governance. What began as a small initiative has grown into an industry-leading enterprise, delivering high-quality, cost-effective cells and testing services to researchers at UW-Madison and globally. 

Education and advancing industry standards have always been a part of WiCell’s mission. A major milestone came in 2010 with the completion of the NIH National Stem Cell Bank contract, where WiCell facilitated the banking, characterization, and distribution of 21 hES cell lines approved for U.S. federal funding. This achievement paved the way for the creation of the WiCell Stem Cell Bank, now home to a over 1,500 cell hES and human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cell lines. 

More recently, Dr. Tenneille Ludwig, Director of the WiCell Stem Cell Bank, worked together with Dr. Peter Andrews and ISSCR to develop the “ISSCR Standards for Human Stem Cell Use in Research”, which was published in 2023. These standardized guidelines raise the bar for stem cell characterization and reporting criteria to help researchers ensure rigor and reproducibility in their work.

“We are at such an exciting time in the field—translational research moving into clinical trials with transformative treatments within reach. We are honored to serve and support the scientific community as they reach for breakthroughs that will impact human health in unprecedented ways.” Tenneille Ludwig, PhD, Director of the WiCell Stem Cell Bank.

The growing interest in and regulatory need for stem cell characterization have brought many new clients to WiCell. To meet growing demand for documentation and regulatory compliance, we achieved a significant milestone in 2024, completing the built-out of a purpose-built GMP space for characterization services and assay development.

This year, we expanded our service portfolio to include:

• cGMP Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Profiling Services 
• Undifferentiated Status Assessment by Flow Cytometry 
• Pluripotency Assessment by Flow Cytometry 

Behind the scenes, we have focused on enhancing the quality assurance components of our services, completing client audits with great success, and working on continuous improvement initiatives that will help us better serve our clients. Looking ahead, we are exploring cutting-edge technologies, such as optical genome mapping and genomic proximity mapping, to develop new services that will further support our clients in fully characterizing the genomics of their cells and cell therapy products.

“We’re proud to expand our offerings and are privileged to be backed by an exceptional team that keeps customer service and quality at the forefront of their work every day. It’s exciting to be part of a community of passionate scientists leading the way towards a better future for all.” Seth Taapken, Director of Operations. 

2024 was a busy and exciting year for the WiCell team, with attendances at a record number of conferences. From ISCT in Canada to our first time exhibiting at ASGCT in Baltimore, we enjoyed the opportunities to connect with industry stakeholders and engage in conversations that are shaping the future of the field. 

The highlight for WiCell was at the ISSCR Annual Meeting in Germany, where Dr. Tenneille Ludwig was honored with the ISSCR Public Service Award, shared with Dr. Peter Andrews, for their remarkable work on the “ISSCR Standards for Human Stem Cell Use in Research.”  

In addition, Dr. Ludwig was elected to the ISSCR Board of Directors in July, where she will serve a three-year term. Her passion for collaboration and dedication to scientific integrity will be instrumental in advancing ISSCR’s mission to promote excellence in stem cell science and its applications to human health.

Dr. Ludwig also contributed to several publications including:

• Guidelines for managing and using the digital phenotypes of pluripotent stem cell lines
• Feeder-free culture of human pluripotent stem cells drives MDM4-mediated gain of chromosome 1q

If you haven’t read these yet, we highly recommend adding them to your reading list for valuable insights into stem cell best practices.

We also introduced a new publication search tool, powered by Bioz, to simplify access to peer-reviewed articles featuring WiCell products. This tool enables researchers to quickly explore published research conducted with specific WiCell cell lines and seamlessly connect back to those lines for easy ordering, saving time and enhancing discovery. If you haven't explored this tool yet, we encourage you to try it out. 

“The field of cell and gene therapy is evolving rapidly, presenting both challenges and immense opportunities. Its transformative potential remains undeniable, and we are proud to be playing a part in this important science over the past 25 years.
From humble beginnings to becoming a world-recognized leader in the stem cell space, our work has supported clients who are pioneering revolutionary therapies that could significantly improve the lives of patients with cancer, diabetes, macular degeneration, and neurodegenerative diseases.

A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated team and to the clients who have supported us throughout this journey. We look forward to continuing to serve you and advancing science together for many years to come. See you in 2025!" Robert Drape, CEO