Nano Intelligence Biomedical Engineering Corporation (NIBEC) has acquired a patent regarding the method for preparing induced pluripotent stem cells using synthetic peptide in the U.S., the company said Tuesday.

The technology, which does not use the conventional clinical application of virus-induced pluripotent stem cells, secures safety and dramatically shortens the time taken to cultivate existing degenerated stem cells using synthetic peptides, it said.

A company official said the technology’s most important advantage is that it can produce undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells and apply them clinically efficiently.

Stem cells can infinitely self-regenerate and differentiate into tissue cells in the body. Such aspects have made the field a popular area in the development of new drugs and the investigation of causative factors of human diseases. Until now, however, various problems such as gene mutation as well as potential risk for viruses have limited its application on the human body.

To solve such problems, NIBEC has found a stem cell culturing and differentiation techniques that can secure the safety of its peptide technology.

“We are engaged in research and development in connection with peptide-based arthritis treatments and expects to have a great synergistic effect in improving inflammation,” the company official said. “Through patent registration in the U.S., we plan to preempt the technological competitiveness and establish a favorable position in entering the global market for regenerative medicine through various technological capabilities.”