China's Jimi Biotech develops the world's first deer antler stem cell line
China’s cellular agriculture company, Jimi Biotech, has developed the world’s first deer antler stem cell line, making Jimi Biotech the first company globally capable of mass-producing deer antler stem cells through cellular cultivation. This spontaneously immortalized cell line has undergone over 60 passages with a doubling time of under 24 hours. Deer antlers hold significant cultural and dietary importance in China and other Asian countries, where they are revered as a premium health products.
The market for deer antlers in China alone exceeds 3 billion RMB. The uniqueness of deer antlers lies in their ability to undergo complete regeneration periodically under natural conditions, prompting extensive research into their anti-aging and health benefits, especially pertaining to antler stem cells, which constitute less than 1% of the entire antler structure.
The cells used by Jimi Biotech were derived from the tip of the first two-bar antler of a three-year-old Sika deer. Prime-aged deer are said to have the best-quality antlers, while regeneration is believed to be strongest at the tips. Jimi Biotech is expected to submit a regulatory approval filing for its first cultivated deer antler products in 2024.
©Jimi Biotech
Jimi Biotech has successfully adapted its own cell lines to grow in suspension at more than 10 million cells per milliliter, and the cost of serum-free media has been reduced to 50 RMB (less than 7 USD) per liter. Previously, Jimi Biotech has developed China’s first beef cell line and first cultivated beef, but it will prioritize submitting the approval filing for deer antler products next year.
