COLIBRI – Launch of iPSCs generation 

The research project Colibri aims to characterize and follow monozygotic twins, one with Down syndrome and one without. This study will allow a comprehensive analysis of the different genetic and epigenetic factors.

The comparison with dizygotic twins and a child with T21 mosaicism will consolidate the methodological quality of the study, its validity and the interpretation of the results.

“Colibri" received a positive opinion from the French Ethics Committee on 26 September 2022 and started in December 2022.

This research will enable BioJel to work on the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), from blood and possibly skin cells. These cells have the unique capacity to transform into the different types of cells that make up the human body (neuronal, muscular, cardiac cells, etc.) and as such they represent a rare and valuable research model that can be used to elucidate the mechanisms involved in intellectual deficiencies of genetic origin.

The objective will be then to continue the generation of iPSC cells in the laboratory and make them available to the international scientific community.